Crack Crochet

It's a little dark but obviously it's a hat. The thing about crochet is that it's so quick. This took less than three hours so why not make them? You get an accomplishment fix fairly quickly and that calms you down so you can get on with the more involved stuff. Crochet is crack. You pick it up and it seems innocent enough and you get that first project done in a small amount of time and you have to do it again just to make sure it wasn't a fluke and before you know it, you're hitting the hook for a quick rush to a finished object. You can justify it by saying you will pick up the needles and knit but it has you and you both know it. I repeat, crochet is crack.

I want to tell you about this past Tuesday night. We are still doing the Lenten Soup suppers on Tuesdays (I've attended two of the four we've had and I intend on going to one of the two remaining.) This Tuesday we were at Elmwood Park UMC where my newest friend Audrey Molina is the pastor. Her husband is also a pastor and together they delivered the message on Tuesday evening going back and forth between English and Spanish - they moved between the two languages with beautiful ease. Some of our members are not fluent in English and I love hearing different languages. I took French in high school, you know, just in case the Parisians took over Chicago.

In any case, they talked about how the kingdom of God is already here and it is up to each of us as individuals and as a community to put that kingdom into action.

Every time you feed the hungry - you live in the kingdom of God
Every time you forgive - you live in the kingdom of God
Every time you lift someone up, every time you lend your heart, your hands, your service - you live in the kingdom of God.

And that God, who was above us and then among us is now within us.

I am in awe of those who obviously live their faith - mainly because I so obviously do not - but seeing their passion and connection with that entity that is both higher than us and within us - just calls to that void within me to be better.

Each time we live the kingdom of God in action, we let God out just a little bit more. Whether that connection comes through Buddha or the Baha'ullah or Christ Jesus, God out in the world and God in the world has to be better than the world without God. It has to be better - even for those who don't believe in anything.

It was a great and inspirational night and I understand a little better why I'm so drawn to Audrey's spirit - which is gentle and lovely and so very well connected with her husband's passionate spirit. I wish you could have been there.

The soup wasn't bad, either.