February 21, 2009: In Honor of Tempest Smith - A Warning and A Promise

This was intended to be an on-line ritual, but there were enough words to say that they deserved their own episode. 

Tempest Smith died on February 20, 2001.  She died by her own hand because she could no longer deal with the daily harassment and bullying she was receiving from her classmates.  At her funeral, there were numerous statements from those who should have been her friends about how sorry they were.  Well, words are like arrows:  Once they've hit the mark, how much good does taking them back accomplish?

And in her honor, some words of warning, and words of promise as well.  And they come right from the Christians' own Bible.  They might not be verses which some folks know, but they are there, waiting for those who want to learn.  Three words of warning and promise, in plain sight.

If The Divine is as infinite as if must be, there is a whole lot which we simply do not know.  But, we can begin by knowing that we do not know everything.  And we can know that what we grasp of The Divine is one small part of one small corner.  And that's regardless of what name or names we use for addressing The Divine.

And when our minds are grown to the point that we might be able to grasp more, then we'll see things differently.  And things that seemed so terribly important today will become so terribly trivial!

And the warnings contain promises of what can be ours if we grasp the lesson to be found in Tempest Smith's story.

Blessed Be!