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Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Rendez-vous This beautiful, life filled French expression: also used in English Two or more people will meet: where, when? That is important We don't ask "what for"? Because, it is so obvious that it is just for the pleasure to be together, to share thoughts, and food for thought and food for the body, and a drink 
we just come, greet, kiss, hug, sit, and sometimes stay still time has stopped because we truly are alive while the communion of being together in friendship takes place it is not a working get together, nor a dinner party, nor a planning session, nor a workshop of some sort, nor a birthday or weddingday nor a carefully planned liturgy. It is no entertainment. It just IS life! 
Rendez-vous: is just a being together in friendship, love, care, words are few, powerful, life giving, people driven, earth bound heaven bound (which is the same) It is music, melody, inner rythme it seems to me, in such grace lit encounter, that, the sorrows turn into sunset peace, that frustrations turn into on going ploughing that dryness and drought give way to morning dew and gentle rain that the earth lives again under my feet and in my soul, to go forth having been strengthened in our Rendez-vous, to meet all whom I meet and include them, embrace them in a mystical rendez-vous hug where Yeschouah is guest and host: the where, the when, the what for have vanished into a love-filled life-filled presence! Amazing Grace! 
Pope John-Paul Ist The gentle, Christlike, smiling pope died of a heart attack 25 years ago, after just 33 days of work in the vatican! It was on September 28th 1978. The circumstances of his death remain clouded in "things not said but just supposed". The media are rather quiet about this gentle pope. The vatican authorities refused the autopsy that so many people asked for, because they were shocked by the suddenness of John-Paul's demise. His parents, brothers and sisters were not rich, but they loved each other and people. His father was a glass-blower. I imagine he was artistic and made beautiful objects. Here is Albino Luciani as a child 
He never pursued, judged. condemned anyone. His smile came from the heart and told people: I love you, Jesus loves you. Let's go forward together on our pilgrimage on earth with all people, races, with the rich and the poor, the young and the old. Our little planet is fragmented, let's build God's planet of Justice and Peace. The best we can. He had a rather tough 33 days in the vatican. Those in religious power feared this smiling pope's poweful humility, so Christlike. But Albino Luciani went on to the bitter end. 
"The Life and Death of each of us has its influence on others" (Romans 14:7) You need not live endlessly long lives to be someone great! Jesus's official preaching and healing time lasted three years only. That's why His Mission goes on even today and tonight. Rest in Peace and stay with us, dear, smiling, human, people loving pope! 
Friday, September 26, 2003
My friend We meet at bus stops, or in public transports of some sort her smile falls on me like warm sunshine: Hi! Sister, she twitters, we sit on a bench while the busses go on their way, we'll catch the next or the next. How precious is this gift encounter, just by sheer chance and grace! Give thanks to Jesus! She does some charring in offices down in the Flon, just for a bit of money to go on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, some day, she beams 
She is a "Filipino", my friend, one of the 7000 phillippine islands, is her birthplace, poor, no electricity so no nervosity, says she with a grin that tickles me. But many birds, Oh! birds, what a music "Oh! were it but for the wings of a dove", I muse In her family, 20 children make a living and sharing community: her mum died giving birth and her dad passed away, exhausted but "we love each other, it is calm over there" and pain floats in her beautiful eyes, just for a split second! How she landed in Switzerland, in Lausanne, how she married this very nice railway man who comes back home to supper every evening at 7 p.m., I don't know, nor do I care. She's here. What impresses me, what instructs me, is the way she gazes at the little "Sister Cross" that hangs round my neck she need not say: "I love him", I feel her love of Jesus in my heart. 
She just looks like my friend, I love her! Monday, September 22, 2003
Car free day Did you see "love Bug"? You laugh your heart out as the "love Bug runs after its driver"! I enjoyed it! the movie somehow befriends you with both "Driver and Bug" 
Quite another thing is the "One man one car" life threatening drive! At every street corner! No love Bug there. That is the daily roar and race! Pedestrians beware and keep close to the walls! 
A car free day: it feels so good, dawdling down the road just for one day, one precious day Furthermore, I find friends in the public transports: young, old, pretty, ugly, all going the same way to the next stop: unload, upload, go! 
By the way side: the walkers walk breathing cleaner air, feeling good, physically feeling blest in their soul! Yeshua in their midst Saturday, September 20, 2003
Bulle, Fribourg, Lausanne and elsewhere around the world 
So much anxiety, pent up anger, fears, tears and violence it dawns on me that Jesus has seen it all, lived it all, long before loving, he turned death into life, we keep forgetting, Oh! why? he keeps turning death into life through me and you we keep remembering, forgetting, remembering again reminding one another again I hear it again: "Tell those anxious of heart, timid of heart, fearful of heart (like mine at times!): strengthen your weak hands, steady your trembling knees Comfort one another Yeshua is at work, he is right here with me this moment as ever the lame springs up just like a deer, the feeble-footed jumps like a roe IS:35:3 
Isn't that EMPOWERMENT? the salt in the soup and the yeast in the dough? Oh! the bread is rising! Thank you for reminding me, dearest, precious Friends! 
Sunday, September 14, 2003
Feast of the Cross 
14th September: birthday of my pen friend, Genaro Ruiz Camacho: he would be 48 today, but he is not here, he is just round the corner of the earth: in heaven, thinking of all those who love him. Mexican Indian, exiled in Texas, he is "picked up" like hundreds before and hundreds after him, condemned to death. Eight years in Huntsville death row. He kept appealing, Trying to prove his innocence. In vain. The then Governor of Texas, George W. Bush refused clemency. Gino is executed by lethal injection on August 26th 1998 
Gino and I wrote to each other regularly, cheerfully, at times desperate and angry, and again knowing Jesus is part of this struggle. Gino introduced me to his granny, his mum, his beautiful wife Victoria and their four children: we are friends. So many friends joined in, appealing to stop the execution. To no avail. Gino died saying: "I'll be with you, I'll be waiting for you in heaven I love you all" (and to me: it's a new beginning, see you soon!). We wept, mourned, rejoiced! Happy birthday, Gino! You so loved wild mexican flowers! 
Saturday, September 13, 2003
He's dead Johnny, but no, "we die to live" the country songs' singer, Johnny sings now in God's kingdom in perfect harmony, he sang little people's feelings on the way trying to love one another today's psalms, today's people with Yeshua, singing Good News we walk the line, sometimes tight rope, and we get there thank you Johnny, we keep singing I WALK THE LINE Johnny Cash 
I keep a close watch on this heart of mine, I keep my eyes wide open all the time, I keep the ends out for the ties that bind, Because you're mine, I walk the line. I find it very, very easy to be true, I find myself alone when each day is through, Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you, Because you're mine, I walk the line. You've got a way to keep me on your side, You give me cause for love that I can't hide, For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide, Because you're mine I walk the line. As sure as night is dark and day is light, I keep you on my mind both day and night, And happiness proves that I'm right, Because you're mine I walk the line. 
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Daily prayer before my beloved planet "At times, I ask myself: are we on the right planet?" (Samuel Beckett said it!) 
What is beyond questioning is, that I, and my fellowmen, are bound, willy-nilly to this very planet and no other, for better for worse generation after generation blossom a while, die away giving birth to the next yet I feel sad in my heart, dear Jesus, because your creation so beautiful, tender, loving is also so desperately violent, hideous Why stab Anne Lind to death? Sergio de Mello and those around him, David Kelly driven insane with pain, the american, irakian, british, nigerian young soldier boys forced to kill; the little old people dying by the thousand of heatwaves in France, just surviving elsewhere Why AIDS? why orphans, widows, strangers unwelcome 
an awful mystery: beauty and hideousness, truth and untruth, rich and poor, war and peace, water and thirst, bread and hunger? it baffles me as I silently pray before my beloved planet, your creation and ours, dear Creator divine. I then listened, for the first time in my life like a kindergarten unkowing kid, to St John's Passion, by J.S. Bach and began to see ever so dimly, the tension, the dialectic one could say, inherent to nature and Oh! the meaning of Yeshua's creative love, even now as I share bread and a glass of red wine with my neighbour Monday, September 08, 2003
Blogger close to my heart! 
True, it wasn't child's play to get acquainted, (guided by Christian, by Philippe), with my Blog "homepage". I felt at times "ancient", which of course I am, sometimes I asked for help, some dear friends were a little scared of the english I so dearly love. I dream in english, see that?! Sometimes I made fatal errors and Philippe and Christian sweated it out to put all things right I studied and studied Blogger's Support, tried, and tried at times making a hopeless mess, although not always so stupid, because that's the way one learns, say wise people, young and old behold, last week, I ventured to contact Blogger's team got through, a friendly exchange of mail took place till Blogger's doc could clearly could see what my problem was and oh! so very simply: mend it! With kind regards! said my Blogger's friends to me with some sort of rye smile: "lucky you, Claire Marie, to be with Blogger, such friendly, efficient help, that's GOLD! It is." 
Every child is my child that was our deepest conviction in South Africa's difficult times, even until today Every human being is my brother it remains my conviction even here in a society so frozen cool! Jesus says so, and so it is, what a challenge! I have a brother who believes, declares, lives out most concretely the universal brotherhood of men and creatures, nature, sun, moon and stars included for years now, we spend Sunday afternoon together in St Ursanne by the river Doubs it frequently happens that we just play scrabble and sing songs both old and new words full of wisdom and mellow melodies mixed with today's rock pop and gospel heartbeat! desperate urge to live and be true! thisrty, hungry for just a few drops of pure water a few crumbs of deep brown bread famished for truth and for LOVE what is Love, Who is Love? Words only? nay: the Word made man in everyman saint and sinner alike! That is LOVE! 
here he is: I am his sister see the christic light, the cosmic light the divine vibrations that, on one blessed day became a form, a man, a brother Love made man |