Rainbows are a fitting symbol for the gay pride movement.  From a biblical point of view, they suggest a trusting relationship between heaven and earth, a covenant which ensures that whatever is being experienced in this life—floods and romantic attraction among other real phenomena—makes sense in the purview of divine providence (Gen 9:8-17).  From a physics point of view, rainbows happen when light lays bare the deeper meaning of a water molecule in the same way that the beauty and texture of human sexuality, through the light of those who care to understand it, is refracted out of something so basic as genitalic complementarity.  From an emotional point of view, whether one is being tossed about by a literal thunderstorm or being swept away by a whirlwind of internal confusion, rainbows bring hope, the hope that some new horizon is destined to emerge.  If only we had the courage to allow Jesus, who is the light of the world (Jn 8:12), to shine through our humanity, two-thirds of which is, in fact, water, we too, with our gay sisters and brothers, would be proud of the richness, variety and goodness of life, as it is.  Ave Crux, Spes Unica. 

It is a biblical fact that Word precedes Spirit.  When the time was right, the Word became flesh in order to retell the story of humanity.  When the time was right again, the Spirit was sent to the disciples to fill that narrative of salvation with feeling and meaning.  It seems that this pattern—of creating a container and filling it, which is itself the pattern of creation where the sky, the seas and the earth were subsequently filled with stars, fish and animals—is simply the way that the Lord chooses to save.  The Word functions as a mental marker that sets the stage for consciousness.  When the Spirit arrives—and hopefully we are awake when it does!—we are in a position to recognize it and choose it and receive it as truth.  Though this art of resonance looks different in different souls, the order of operations is always the same: I need to articulate my professional goals before chasing that dream job, and I need to talk to my crush before letting the passions of love take over.  In this coming week, therefore, let’s not be afraid to strain our inner ear to listen carefully to the words that are being spoken within.  Our spiritual cup is destined to be filled, and, in fact, overflow, as the story of our own goodness abounds.  Ave Crux, Spes Unica.

Most of the world calls it fútbol; some say soccer; but all agree that it is the beautiful game.  The sport not only demands physical fitness and mental acuity, but also a keen intuition that allows one to constantly see the whole field and pick up on the rhythms of the offenses and defenses therein.  Unlike other games that feel fragmented—with their abrupt stops and restarts—soccer just flows.  The ball moves from foot to foot to foot to foot and from team to team to team to team.  It is hard to explain how the play developed yet indisputable that the goal was in fact scored.  From a young age, players are taught about the tension of opposites: in order to go at the goal, you must start by going away from the goal.  They are trained to see invisible realities such as angles and space.  The highlight of the match, however, is when the ball is “crossed” from one side of the field to the other; time feels suspended as fans and players alike hold their breath, praying that someone will meet the ball in midair and, catching the other team off guard, send it into the back of the net for a goal.  During this World Cup season, let’s catch football fever!  We shall be inspired to find our spiritual feet and join in the eternally beautiful game that, through its own angles, spaces and crosses, confers life.  Ave Crux, Spes Unica.

Have you heard the expression “give them some grace”?  It’s all the rage and the latest example of the collapse of religious language into the vast junkyard of postmodern deconstructionism.  We all know what is meant by the phrase—cut them some slack, give them a break, take it easy on them, etc.—and we all certainly appreciate when this sentiment has been extended to us!  Nevertheless, “grace” is a very theologically sophisticated term that actually means the totally free gift of the Lord’s friendship.  As a person who sins, grace is not mine to give.  It must, instead, be received as a free gift from the only one who can, in fact, offer it (hence the word “gratitude,” the appropriate response to such a gift, is derived from “grace”).  Maybe we should instead communicate more accurately by saying something like, “May God’s grace bless and sustain you,” or “I will do the best I can to be flexible with you as God has been flexible with me,” or even something less-charged like, “Let’s give this person the benefit of the doubt.”  The hope is that we can truly be instruments of God’s grace without spoiling it with our own stuff.  May grace, indeed, come and this world pass away (Didache 10:6).  Ave Crux, Spes Unica.