STEDY, October 10, 2018

Genesis 2:7
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

There are the things we all do when we first get home. We kick off our shoes, set down all our stuff, greet people and pets. In the midst of that activity is a breath we all take, a very telling inhale or exhale that could be in relief that the day is over, it could be in response to the mess waiting to be cleaned or perhaps a tight catch of sadness as we remember some one or something that is no longer there. Walking through that door calls us to reality, our breath is often a direct reflection of how we are feeling. When we are nervous or scared we tend to hold our breathes, relief causes a massive exhale and anxiety holds a satisfying inhale just out of our reach. Yet when used well our breathing can be a very powerful tool. Besides keeping us alive, breathing helps us calm down and also gear up. Performers use it to stay focused, athletes use it to be stronger, women use it to give birth. Such a simple thing, a powerful gift given to us directly from God’s own mouth yet one we forget we have.
Buddhism has long taught various forms of meditation which focus on taking long, complete breathes. Many involve the use of a small bell, when rung it calls practitioners to come, as they say, “home.” They are to stop what they are doing, reflect on what they are feeling and indulge in deep breaths. They encourage people to find their own version a bell, some sound in the world they will encounter on a regular basis that they can use bring themselves “home” for a minute, to acknowledge feelings and remember to breath. This could be the bell marking the end of a class, but it could be a garbage truck going by, the pinging of someone’s cell phone or even hearing someone say, “what the heck?”. Whatever you choose to be your “bell”, I encourage you to think of this passage in Genesis where God brings Adam to life by giving him some of God’s own breath. Imagine God giving that breath to you as you in inhale, hold that breath for a few seconds as you remember all the good God gives to us.
~ SCENES FROM LAST SUNDAY~
Photos from Blessing of the Animals