Thoughts, words, emotions, and promptings converge and none localized around any one soul.

Is altruism an illusive and allusive fantasy?

All anger bleeds acid. Sadness breeds sorrow. There are remedies. Remedies require energy from tired brains.

Love leaks leaky hearts.

Hope demands engagement. It is costly.

Grace provokes disgrace.

But every alternative to love and grace is unacceptable.

You've read the news. You've expressed shock and outrage.

This is a recurring word in a recurring new world order. It is tiring and draining.

So take a short break to regroup and get back to work. You did not call or hire yourself and you have no right to quit.

Peacemaking is turbulent, messy work. Get messy. This is Kingdom work and it is not your kingdom.

This is a note to myself. There now. I am glad I got that off of and back onto my chest. I am ready to face the day.

But more before the end of pause and resumption of activity.

God weeps. Friends weep. We weep.

Spinners will spin but no one will win. There is no dishonor to those who do their jobs with integrity and courage by calling out those who abuse power or the systemic realities that make it possible.

What happens when a young man or woman dies or masses die or some prominent leader dies ormanyone dies?

This life was important.That life was important. The other life was important. Marginalized lives matter by name and category including the skin they are in because all lives do matter and all lives do because they do most when we can name the marginalized peoples whose value has been diminished.

At some point, we need corrective words that seem to tilt the ship in one direction because we have grown so accustomed to our own tilt.

He and she are irreplacable.

They cannot be lost in a sea of "allness."

God weeps. Let us weep. Change comes through tears because tears form a river of common understanding in which we all must sink alone or swim together.

Blessings to you, reader.

I am not called to curse or withhold a blessing. I may not be able to control the package the blessing comes wrapped in, but I deeply desire God's best for you … The Very Best.

There are no conditions from me.

The Maker may have some in order to deliver the prize, but the conditions will be part of the blessing and not a payment for them.

Grace to you. Have a magnificent rest of your day.