ecospirit

Parable of the Gypsy Tramp, Part Two

As for Earth's brother, He used to be an outside god, master steward of wine and grain, dancing with the farmers in the villages. Out of ritual necessity they killed him each time, but each time he came back, like the harvest itself, giving life to the little community that dressed and kept the fields and the vineyards. Now He's in that church-vault, chained at the altar, she's outside on the steps, and the dance... When was the last time you went to the dance? And which of the creatures of the Ark were there? And what the condition of the forest whence they came?

Does Christ not long for his sister, formerly magnificent in her abundant beauty? Is this why he looks so sad? As Lord of the Dance, he was once nailed to the world-tree, then cut down and buried in another stone vault. He leapt back up, like a vigorous young sprout from a felled tree trunk, and came as a magnificent bridegroom to this marriage. True, it was a humble place on a side street of Rome, and the wedding feast was a potlach. Folks came from all over the great city to see the ceremony. They didn’t have much, but they joyously brought what they could. The Lord made sure everyone had plenty, turning the water to wine and multiplying the loaves and fishes.

His sister, bearing His imprint, always did the same at her more plodding pace. Her most recent dance-feast began sixty-seven million years ago, when she made some major alterations to her old dress with the seed of His Word, filling the seas with dancing, slithering beings and the glorious forest and plains with their triumphant ark.

So we come to the end of our parable. Having defeated Death to come to His wedding before, do you think Christ will allow the bride in the vault to imprison Him forever? And do you think his sister, tough, compassionate Mother Earth, will continue to be a Gypsy Tramp, the Ishmael of our time? I wouldn't bet on either scenario, because awakened people of faith are more powerful than governments or corporations and the accumulated weight of habit.

If you're not sure you’ve awakened to the challenge, look for the Gypsy Tramp outside the door - she's the homeless one this season. Take her home to dinner and listen carefully with your heart wide open to the story she has to tell you.

As for a seasonal message, the Advent that I await this year and the remainder of my days is the reunion of Christ and Earth - one flesh, one spirit.

NEXT: Report on Montreal Kyoto Protocol Meeting – witness of the faith community.