The Knight, Death and the Devil

I have been reading The Knight, Death and the Devil by Ella Leffland 1990, about Hermann Goring. A man who loved and prayed and by sheer will power (or was it predilection?) stayed fit and until he had to beat pain induced morphine addiction, became even more fit, and loved his first wife indefatigably, yet...Goering? at Church? in Heaven? a man to be lauded for his physique and vigor and spirituality?

The church should definitely be a place to encourage people into good behaviors, and even perhaps to discourage bad behaviors(maybe rather to avoid bad behaviors), but often times I have seen the prejudice of people even in church destroy the reputation of earnest people and abandon the application of their good ideas all because that person carried too much weight, or the fragrance of tobacco, or even worse the suspect odor of a 'potent' mouthwash. However, these personal traits and habits which involve others in only an indirect manner, because of their sentient properties seem to foster overconcern when compared to the concern engendered by such pernicious and objectionable socially involved perfidities such as greed and lust and power mongering which lead to conversations(lifestyle incl.) of violence. 
 
Stress is...hmmm...as stress does.   In this world we will always have the stressed,  at least til God's Leadership(basilea?) be manifested...the  2nd Jerusalem, you know Zion--the Crystal City(no more crying there!).  When there is stress there is blurry, short-sightedness which begets more stress leading to anxiety and then even wrongheadedness.  Alas a great convoluted re-emerging circle of cyclosity.
 
If we could all be healthy, happy and unified harmoniously, we would not experience stress and thus either the repercussions of gluttony, drunkeness, and other escapist conducts would be non existant as their root, having no (real or false) raison d'etre, would demonstrate the ineffectivenss of those behaviors.  But, alas again, somewhere, as I pull another handful of potato chips out of the bag while watching yet another episode of "Ripped From the Headlines", someone is casting an icy glare in the direction of the last person who disagreed with them on some topic of (more than likely ostentatious)import to the both.  In that eye is the entire world of brokeness, for through the eye is viewed the soul and in that soul is the ember of vengeance, just as my stomach closes on something it did not need and is forced to find somewhere to put the excess, it comes out of me somewhere as fat or else, and is manifested as the corrupt fruit of my own realization of inadequacy played out in a binge of overeating.
 
I have often wondered why more people are not as George Washington reportedly was, at peace with himself and humble in his service to America, wanting that freedom he fought for and gaining it for so many people in the process still going on today.  Why could people not be more like my Great Grandfather Isham Tubbs, who when his niece became the first teacher of the County Schools--stepped down from his position as Trustee to the School Board to avoid any suspicion of nepotism.  You cannot throw a stick at any elective office and not clap some form of cronyism on the cheek(Beware!).  It seems to go with the industry of politics today.
 
So we must change those things we need to and can change, and accept those things we cannot and need not, while holding ourselves to those standards of perfection God has seen beneficial that we personally have at individual appurtenance, and while we give to God His great due, let us not become so enamoured of His affection toward us(surely there is some little something that you wish God would change or hurry up about in your life) that we think every one is going to agree with us, or else there will be a grand upbraiding wherein WE are OF COURSE exhonerated of any and everything perverse and thus venerated by all those who should have known better than to cross us to begin with.  Is this the emulation of God and His Son we are to attempt, or is it something else?  Like alowing forgiveness.  Forgiveness of wrong doing, forgiveness of short falling, forgiveness of idiot's thinking.  God has forgiven all of these for each one of us, individually and severally, to some degree or another.  Forgiveness of others, then, rather than reward of our pious selves:  As God covered Adam's reason for shame:   So He expects us to accept that He has covered our shame.(complex syntax is sic)
 
I had a friend.  He liked to juggle.  First he juggled with one ball.  Then he would add the second ball, juggling the two in increasing complexity of patterns until he had to add the third ball just to keep from being redundant.  He developed several patterns with three balls, and was much fun to watch, but the fourth ball was a difficult addition, for sure, and the fifth almost inconceivable.  I have seen juggling talent on TV who were much quicker to the complexity of their art, but they were not my friends.  Right now I don't remember any of those TV juggler's names.  I do remember Frank Henry, my friend.

Forgive me Lord, I am a crone.