Jesus is enthroned as king--on a cross. He never stops turning our world upside-down and making us look, not at what we can see, but at what we can't.
The Middlers went to the circus to see the clowns. And the clowns stepped into the center ring--goofy looking, silly looking and even a little ugly looking. And we laughed! Then, there were those clowns who are always getting hurt--bonged on the head, slapped in the face, tripped to the floor. And we laughed! Finally, the sad sacks--always making mistakes, always getting it wrong, always screwing up. And we laughed.
Three crosses--one good guy in the middle and two bad guys. Bad guy #1 looks at Jesus--ugly, hurt and all screwed up. And he laughs! Because he's convinced that the ugly, the hurt and the screwed up belong only to Jesus. It all keeps him apart from Jesus and lets him put Jesus down. The laugh of bad guy #1 says: I'm better than you.
And bad guy #2 looks at Jesus and says: You're ugly, you're hurt, you're all screwed up--and so am I; we're in this mess together. And Jesus says: Since you could look at me--ugly, hurt and screwed up--and see yourself and us together, then together we shall be forever--in Paradise.
And the Middlers said: Got it!!! Jesus is the clown and the clowns are us.
It was off to the beaches with the Elementaries to meet Dr. Seuss and the Sneetches. There were star-belly Sneetches, who thought they were better than plain-bellies. A smart guy, named Sylvester McMonkey McBean, figured out that whatever kept Sneetches apart could make him rich. He put stars on and took stars off and laughed at the Sneetches, who'd rather empty their wallets than empty the hearts. McBean thought Sneetches would never learn, but he was wrong. They finally got it: "That day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches.
And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches."
And the Elementaries got it too. Are we better enough to laugh at another or good enough to be one with each other?
Three crosses and a king, who becomes a clown, so that we can all be clowns together (or maybe Sneetches)!
Love,
Deacon Charlie
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