With humour in relatively short supply these days, my own mental energy even shorter, and  April Fool’s Day just over, I thought some biblical exegesis might be in order. So here is a reading from Exodus, chapter 16, (Disclosure: adapted from a version published in 2014).

            The entire assembly complained about the leadership of Moses and his brother Aaron. They said, “Why did you lead us out of Egypt where McDonald’s was open 24/7, to bring us out to this wilderness where we will surely die of fast food deprivation?”

            “Give us this day our daily burgers,” they chanted.

            So Moses said, “I will show you that all this was part of an intelligent design that reaches its pinnacle in self-actuating human beings. Tomorrow morning, you will receive whatever you need.”

            In the morning, when the dew lifted, the people found flat flaky things lying on the sands.

            They said to one another, “What are these?”

            Moses said to them, “These things are credit cards. You may use them to gather whatever you need for the needs of your household.”

            The people gathered up credit cards by the handful.

            And the people took their credit cards, and hiked through the canyons and wadis to Walmart and Target and the Great Canadian Superstore, and bought everything that they could possibly need.

            Now Moses had warned them, “Do not gather more food or clothing than you need for each day. Any treasure you lay up for yourselves will be corrupted by moth and rust.”

            But the people didn’t listen. They stored their surplus goods in their tents, thinking they could sit back in their newly-acquired lounge chairs while the less fortunate had to make another trip to Costco. But when they got out their meat, it had maggots. Their cheese had grown mouldy. The children had outgrown their new running shoes.

            So the people took their purchases back for a refund. But the store managers pointed out that Moses had warned them against hoarding toilet paper and antiseptic wipes. “Sufficient unto the day is the weevil thereof,” the managers said, peering into sacks of spoiled oatmeal.

            The people discovered that they had nothing left of their purchases. Except a negative credit balance, on which they were expected to pay 19.99% annual interest.

            “But if we can only buy enough for one day at a time,” the people protested, “how will we survive over statutory holidays, holiday weekends, and social isolation?”

            So Moses established credit limits. To each family, he assigned a credit limit, sufficient unto stocking a refrigerator and freezer. But for special occasions when turkeys would be ceremonially sacrificed and presents given, credit limits could be increased.

            “Use your credit wisely,” Moses advised them. “For tomorrow the banks may change their policies, as they are entitled to do, at their discretion, without advising you, and you will be bound to minimum monthly payments on your debt forever and ever.”

            “You told us we were escaping from bondage,” the people objected. “Once we were slaves in Egypt, and the Lord God led us out of Egypt to freedom.”

            “Not to freedom,” Moses corrected them. “To  the free market economy. Tyrants and pharaohs can no longer impose suffering upon you. Now you are free to get yourself into trouble on your own.”

*****************************************

Copyright © 2020 by Jim Taylor. Non-profit use in congregations and study groups, and links from other blogs, welcomed; all other rights reserved.

                  To comment on this column, write jimt@quixotic.ca

*****************************************

YOUR TURN

Like last  week, I can’t possibly include all the emails, cards, and letters expressing condolences for Joan’s death. Thank you all for caring. The sheer volume of your good wishes has been an enormous support for my daughter Sharon and for me. 

            The most helpful responses, in general, came from those who shared their own experience of grieving.

Jean Skillman: “Putting off grieving can leave the survivors feeling a forever void, a sense of torn wholeness not mended or mendable. When I was doing palliative care for elderly people, I saw people who put off grieving. It was denial for some, for others a fear of feeling the grief, for others a perceived expectation to be strong.  I think that wholehearted grieving, done soon, acknowledges the reality of loss.”

Isabel Gibson: “I've had two occasions where a funeral was delayed for months for eminently practical, family reasons. One I didn't attend; the other I did attend, and I missed the immediacy it should have had. The grief for this old lady had been blunted by the passage of time and it was just . . . bloodless, I guess.”

Diana Cabott: “When my favourite aunt passed away, I knew she was seriously ill but didn't see it coming. When she passed my cousin said he couldn't face a service. I am now 72 years old and I am still waiting for that service, although very few people are left who knew her.”

Janet Cawley: “My beloved Sallie [McFague] died last November and for various reasons we did not have the memorial service until January. I want to reassure you that it was still a wonderfully meaningful service for me, and was followed by a splendid tea in the best United Church tradition when everyone shared memories of Sallie. You will have a service, too -- it may be a while, but it will be wonderful. In the meantime, I believe you will find other ways to share your grief and to treasure your love of Joan.”

Margaret Marquis: “I'm only a few weeks from the 2nd anniversary of my husband's death. Your words on grief are true. We do need to have those who love us and who love the one who has died to be with us, to put arms around us, to cry so that our tears mingle on our cheeks, to remember. I am so sorry that your friends are not able to be with you at this time.

            ‘Even though a memorial service later is not the same thing, there is value in it. There are still stories to be told. There are still tears to be shed - believe me, they still come, sometimes as the most unexpected moments (folding sheets is still hard for me - we always did it together - 49 years). There are still hugs and tears and laughter. The memories will be different with time, but don't miss the time of sharing your Joan's life and story with all who will be able to join you.”

Arleen Simmonds: “My husband’s brother chose to end his pain by going the route of MAID. He selected his date, put his plan in motion and informed the family. My husband and I and one of our sons drove from B.C. to Alberta on March 14 [JT: the day right after Joan’s death] to join his brother and his family in this final goodbye.

            “We spent six days with his wife, children and grandchildren. His leaving was an experience I will never forget; he was surrounded for two days by all his wonderful family. There was much sharing of stories and love and laughter. He left this world with almost 20 people in his room filled with so much love and respect honouring his final wishes.

            “Because there could be no service in his church, the minister came to the apartment. Our brother-in-law had the service he had planned (retired UCC minister!) and his family did not want to wait for some undetermined date when this Covid-19 was over.”

Tom Watson: “You're right that ‘crying alone is no fun.’ but it's still important. Long after our loved one is gone - and for no particularly apparent reason other than life and memory are intertwined in a maze of circuits -- just in the middle of something else a memory will come and sit on your shoulder, and it will bring a laugh or a tear and both are good, and both are healing.

Bob Johnstone usually lets his partner Bob Rollwagen respond, but this time he chose to write to “your very honest acknowledgement that ‘it is no fun to cry alone’.  You have caught my attention because I can sense the bleakness of the pieces of the past which you caress in the effort to capture meaning.”

Nan Erbaugh: “Your words ring so true, especially the phrase that crying alone is no fun. That's exactly what I'm doing now in ‘stay at home’ Ohio as I cannot visit my husband at the VA care unit even as he goes downhill rapidly from his Parkinson's and frontal lobe dementia (due to agent Orange in Vietnam). I am losing my husband day by day and he doesn't understand why I'm not there.”

Jane Wallbrown: “My father died in my brother's home at 103. He announced one evening, that his body was breaking down. (He was an MD). "How long, Daddy?" Pause. "Three to four days." He then ate a full course dinner and headed to bed. He never got up. He died 4 days later. We, my brother Frederick and his wife, my son Sheldon and I, were with him. 

            “Frederick and Mary had plane tickets for India where Frederick was to be a featured speaker at a conference. I told them to go. Funeral arrangements had been made 10 years before. A sister in Houston and one in Syracuse were both sick. I went through a burial service (I was the pastor) with Daddy two days after he died. Frederick's two sons and my two sons were there with me. All dispersed after the service needing to get back to their jobs. 

            “I came back to my home alone. It was dreadful. 

            “In April we had a ‘proper’ memorial service in Daddy's church. Family came from all over. It was a great occasion. BUT....that wasn't when I needed it.”

*****************************************

Psalm paraphrase

This coming Sunday has two faces: Palm Sunday, portrayed as a triumphant parade, with marching  bands and gymnastic cheerleaders; and Passion Sunday, a forecast of the stormy days ahead. The psalms selected by the lectionary (Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 and 31:9-16) reflect those two moods – either hip-hip-hooray or utter misery. 

            I’ve come to the conclusion that both miss – or at least exaggerate – what was really happening that day. If all goes well, I’ll be writing that view in my Sharp Edges column this coming Saturday. 

            But in the meantime, none of my previous paraphrases express what I want to say, so I’m withholding a paraphrase for this week. 

However, for paraphrases of most of the psalms used by the Revised Common Lectionary, you can order my book Everyday Psalms from Wood Lake Publishing, info@woodlake.com.

*******************************************

TECHNICAL STUFF

If you want to comment on something, send a message directly to me, jimt@quixotic.ca.

                  To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an e-mail message to jimt@quixotic.ca. Or you can subscribe electronically by sending a blank e-mail (no message or subject line) to softedges-subscribe@lists.quixotic.ca. Similarly, you can un-subscribe at softedges-unsubscribe@lists.quixotic.ca.

                  I write a second column each Sunday called Sharp Edges, which tends to be somewhat more cutting about social and justice issues. To sign up for Sharp Edges, write to me directly, jimt@quixotic.ca, or send a note to sharpedges-subscribe@lists.quixotic.ca

                  And for those of you who like poetry, please check my webpage .https://quixotic.ca/My-Poetry I posted some new poetic works there a few weeks ago.  If you’d like to receive notifications about new poems, write me at jimt@quixotic.ca,  or subscribe yourself to the list by sending a blank email (no message) to poetry-subscribe@lists.quixotic.ca (If it doesn’t work, please let me know.)

********************************************

PROMOTION STUFF

To use the links in this section, you’ll have to insert the necessary symbols. Some spam filters have blocked my posts because they’re suspicious of some of the web links.

                  Wayne Irwin's “Churchweb Canada,” an inexpensive service for any congregation wanting to develop a web presence, with free consultation. http://wwwDOTchurchwebcanadaDOTca He’s also relatively inexpensive!

                  I recommend Isabel Gibson’s thoughtful and well-written blog, wwwDOTtraditionaliconoclastDOTcom. She also has lots of beautiful photos. Especially of birds.

                  Tom Watson writes a weekly blog called “The View from Grandpa Tom’s Balcony” -- ruminations on various subjects, and feedback from Tom’s readers. Write him at tomwatsoATgmailDOTcom (NB that’s “watso” not “watson”)

ALVA WOOD’S ARCHIVE

                  I have acquired (don’t ask how) the complete archive of the late Alva Wood’s collection of satiric and sometimes wildly funny columns about a mythical village’s misadventures. I’ve put them on my website: http://quixotic.ca/Alva-Wood-Archive. You’re welcome to browse. No charge. (Although maybe if I charged a fee, more people would find the archive worth visiting.)