Third Sunday Of Easter
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VII, Cycle C
Object:
Theme For The Day
On a beach by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus practices "catch and release."
First Lesson
Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)
The Call Of Saul
The principal part of this reading deals with the call of the risen Jesus to Saul of Tarsus, as he is on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians. The optional verses (6-10) continue the story, telling what happens to the blind Saul after he is brought to Damascus, and finds himself in the company of a Christian named Ananias, who teaches him of the faith. Was Saul converted? He never uses that term to speak of his own experience. In his writings, he speaks of his call rather than his conversion. Throughout his missionary activities, Paul does not appear to have seen himself as having left Judaism; he sees a fundamental continuity between his past and his present. Rather, through this dramatic experience, his focus is changed. Once he had persecuted Christianity as heretical; now he applies the same zeal to advancing it. In 9:5, responding to the voice that says, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Paul calls out, "Who are you, Lord?" The fact that he uses the word "Lord" indicates that he is already prepared to give the speaker his full devotion. He just doesn't know yet who this is. By the same token, few of the people who come to faith in our day are outright unbelievers. Most believe in something; they are just waiting to meet the one who is deserving of their devotion.
New Testament Lesson
Revelation 5:11-14
Worthy Is The Lamb
John's vision enters a new phase, as he hears the voice of a multitude singing songs of praise. Angels, living creatures and elders, surrounding the heavenly throne, are singing "with full voice" the words of a hymn: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered ..." (v. 12). The multitude praises "the one seated on the throne ... and the Lamb" (God and Jesus Christ -- v. 13). Revelation is full of these hymnic interludes. They may have been hymns of the early church, but more likely they were written by John. These texts have served as the inspiration for countless modern hymns. James Luther Mays and P. Row have written in Harper's Bible Commentary, "The Romans (borrowing Hellenistic kingship traditions) developed an elaborate imperial court ceremonial that included the singing of hymns and the shouting of acclamations to the emperor" (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988, comment on Revelation 6:1). Ever eager to show the superiority of Christianity to the Roman ways, John may well have appropriated the ceremonials of emperor worship to apply to the Christian God. One of John's principal goals in writing this book is to demonstrate the superiority of the reign of Christ to the reign of the emperor.
The Gospel
John 21:1-19
Breakfast On The Beach
The final chapter of John's Gospel is a sort of appendix, relating a final post-resurrection appearance of Jesus. Jesus appears to a group of disciples, including Peter, who have returned to their former livelihood of fishing. At first, there is nothing extraordinary about the encounter. He is a man on the shore, shouting out that perennial fishermen's question, "Catching anything?" It is not for some time -- only after they follow the stranger's instructions and haul in a miraculously large catch that Peter and the others realize who this is. Ever the impetuous one, Peter leaps into the sea and swims for shore, arriving ahead of the heavily laden boat. They discover that Jesus is tending a fire on the beach, on which fish are cooking. He feeds them, in a scene reminiscent of the Lord's Supper. Jesus then asks Peter a question, repeating it three times: "Do you love me more than these?" The threefold repetition effectively undoes Peter's threefold denial. Jesus is forgiving and transforming him, and equipping him for the tasks that lie ahead. Jesus' last words to Peter are, "Follow me." And he does.
Preaching Possibilities
It's one of those scenes that, in a few short weeks, will be duplicated all over the United States. Imagine a brilliant, sunny day in late spring. Outdoors, on a university football field, or maybe on the main quad of a liberal arts college, folding chairs will be set up, row upon row. Perched on each one will be a proud parent or other family member. Down front, in a special section, will be the squirming graduates, capped and gowned. Under many of the gowns will be shorts and sandals, but from all outward appearances, this graduating class will look the very picture of scholarship.
Feeling suddenly self-conscious, the grinning graduates will march across the platform, receive their diplomas (real or symbolic) from the hand of the superintendent or dean, and return to the ranks of their classmates: these special people they've felt so close to, most of whom they will never see again.
At the punch bowl reception a few minutes later, some older family member -- a parent, or maybe an uncle or an aunt -- may walk up to a graduate and offer congratulations. Then, with suddenly tear-filled eyes, and gripping the graduate's hand a few moments longer than feels necessary, the relative may say, "You know, you may not realize it now, but these years you've just completed are the best years of your life."
Words kindly meant, to be sure, but they are among the deadliest words one human being can offer to another. Consider the implications of telling a bright-eyed young graduate, "These are the best years of your life." It's as though the older relative -- the guide -- is saying, "You may think you're at the threshold of something new, but don't fool yourself, kid, it's all downhill from here." Thank you, older generation.
Peter may be feeling something similar as he says to his comrades, "I'm going fishing," and they reply, "We will go with you." What a wild ride it has been! For several of them, it all began on a narrow strip of beach along the Sea of Galilee. They had just hauled their boat up on the sand, and were tightening the knots of their fishing nets, when this strange character walked up to them and said, "Come with me, and I will show you how to fish for people."
Why, precisely, they followed him, they could not have explained at the time -- although, later on, they realized God was in it. God was in it all -- in their walking the length and breadth of Galilee and Judea, in the teachings, the healings, even the times they'd had to flee a town a few steps ahead of the "righteous ones" who got so angry, so fast. God was in the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, too; in the sharing of bread and wine in the upper room; and yes, even in the blood and despair and pain of Calvary. God was in it all -- but especially in those surprising, paradigm-smashing moments when they saw the Master again, and touched his nail-scarred hands and feet.
But what could possibly top this? Peter felt certain these had been the best years of his life. What was there to do now, but go back resignedly to the fishnets? Peter knew he would enjoy, one day, dandling a grandchild on his knee, and saying with a wink, "Did I ever tell you about the time Jesus invited me, the fisherman, to go fishing?" Then, a little voice would pipe up: "Oh, Granddad, you've only told me 100 times!"
But that wasn't, in fact, the way the rest of Peter's life would unfold. This fisherman would have little time for fishing, ever again. He would devote the rest of his years to spreading the word about Jesus, this man he had come to know as Son of God.
And when the sun rose on the last day of Peter's life, he would know that day for what it was. He would know, that morning, that a cross awaited him: an upside-down cross, as he had asked of his Roman persecutors. (For who was he to share the same way of dying as the one he was proud to call "Lord"?)
The Bible tells us about one experience that turned Peter around, that convinced him the best years of his life lay not behind him, but ahead. It's the story John tells, in chapter 21. Peter and his companions are in their boat after a long night of fishing. Despite all their well-honed skills, they have caught nothing. As they row wearily back toward shore, the first rays of dawn reveal a man standing on the beach. He cups his hands around his mouth and shouts, "You don't have any fish, do you?"
Some wise guy. How does he know?
"Why don't you throw the net on the right side of the boat?"
For some reason, they do what he says. Maybe this crazy landlubber will bring them luck.
"Luck" is hardly the word for it. Their net is full to bursting, heavier than any net they've ever hauled in. When they feel that weight, they know: It is the Lord! Peter's so anxious to see him, he leaps into the water and swims for shore.
The Lord cooks them a breakfast of grilled fish, there along the beach. He's already got a charcoal fire going, as if he knew for certain they would come back with fish. Of course he did!
"This," says John, "was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead." Maybe there had to be a third time, for Peter's sake. Maybe it took three times of looking up and seeing the Lord standing there, to counterbalance the bitter memory of having said three times, "I don't know him!"
John could have ended the story here, but he doesn't. There's more. After they've eaten their fill, Jesus turns abruptly to Peter and asks him three times if he loves him. Three times Peter says, "Yes," and three times Jesus tells him to feed his sheep. Jesus is turning back the clock. He's allowing Peter the rare privilege of traveling back through time, to undo the biggest mistake of his life.
It only remains for Jesus to hint about the martyrdom that is in Peter's future. Once he has done that, the risen Lord concludes by saying once again, "Follow me." They have come full circle from one Galilean beach to another. "Follow me and I will show you how to catch people." Catch people, indeed!
As anyone who practices the sport of fly fishing knows, the real experts of the sport practice a method of fishing called "catch and release." There they stand in their waders, thigh deep in the water, flicking that filmy fishing line back and forth across the stream's surface. When they catch one, though, they measure it and immediately put it back in the stream -- so as to preserve the natural resource for others.
"Catch and release" describes what Jesus accomplishes that day, on the Galilean shore. For the second time in their lives, the Lord catches a few fishermen. Only this time, he releases them. He sets them free, with the gift of the Holy Spirit, to fulfill their destiny.
Prayer For The Day
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you, and I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore I will trust you always. Though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my peril alone. (A prayer of Thomas Merton, paraphrasing Psalm 23)
To Illustrate
The motivational speaker and writer, Win Arn, was once making a short film titled Circus. Starring in the film were some young people who also happened to be real, live trapeze artists. During a break in the filming, one of the young stars went up to the producer, pointed up to the trapeze and said, "Why don't you try it, Mr. Arn?"
After some further prodding from his young stars, he did -- although the thought of climbing one of those high towers terrified him. Fifty feet above the sawdust of the circus ring, Win crawled out onto the tiny platform, looked down, and noticed that the safety net was all but invisible.
He almost went back down the ladder, but the shouted encouragement of the young performers convinced him. He grabbed the swing and launched out into space, grabbed the second one in mid-air, and before he knew it, landed on his feet on the opposite platform. His young actors cheered.
Writing about this unique experience later, Win Arn recalled that he made three important discoveries that day:
• Discovery number one: You can't hold onto the old bar while you reach for the other.
• Discovery number two: You don't have forever to make up your mind.
• Discovery number three: It is a frightening experience to make that kind of commitment.
The commitment we make, in resolving to follow Jesus Christ, is equally risky.
***
In his book, Spirit Walker, Hank Wesselman tells about a young man in a primitive tribe of hunter-gatherers who is becoming a shaman. He has had some experiences of the spirit world. His mentor tells him that his life is going to be different because of this.
He says to him: "You have been called, and you cannot refuse the call. Once the spirits have chosen a person to become a shaman, the invitation cannot be denied. To do so is dangerous. There is a pattern within the mystery of life of which we are all a part, and the spirits have decided that the time has come for you to become that which you are destined to be."
-- John Sumwalt, Storyshare, 8/21/05, www.csspub.com/
***
Anthony DeMello illustrates the transformative power of the Holy Spirit working through shared lives in a fable titled "The Disabled Fox" in his book The Song of the Bird.
A fable of the Arab mystic Sa'di:
A man walking through the forest saw a fox that had lost its legs and wondered how it lived. Then he saw a tiger come in with game in its mouth. The tiger had its fill and left the rest of the meat for the fox.
The next day God fed the fox by the means of the same tiger. The man began to wonder at God's greatness and said to himself, "I too shall rest in a corner with full trust in the Lord and he will provide me with all I need." He did this for many days but nothing happened, and he was almost at death's door when he heard a voice say "O you who are in the path of error, open your eyes to the truth! Follow the example of the tiger and stop imitating the disabled fox."
DeMello continues with his own experiences:
On the street I saw a naked child, hungry and shivering in the cold. I became angry and said to God, "Why do you permit this? Why don't you do something?" For a while God said nothing. That night he replied, quite suddenly, "I certainly did something. I made you."
*****
When you follow your bliss, doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors; and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else.
-- Joseph Campbell
***
The desert world accepts my homage with its customary silence. The grand indifference. As any man of sense would want it. If a voice from the clouds suddenly addressed me, speaking my name in trombone tones, or some angel in an aura of blue flame came floating toward me along the canyon rim, I think I would be more embarrassed than frightened -- embarrassed by the vulgarity of such display. That is what depresses in the mysticism of Carlos Castaneda and his like: their poverty of imagination. As any honest magician knows, true magic inheres in the ordinary, the commonplace, the everyday, the mystery of the obvious. Only petty minds and trivial souls yearn for supernatural events, incapable of perceiving that everything -- everything! -- within and around them is pure miracle.
-- Edward Abbey, from Abbey's Road, cited by Belden C. Lane, The Solace of Fierce Landscapes (Oxford, 1998)
On a beach by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus practices "catch and release."
First Lesson
Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)
The Call Of Saul
The principal part of this reading deals with the call of the risen Jesus to Saul of Tarsus, as he is on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians. The optional verses (6-10) continue the story, telling what happens to the blind Saul after he is brought to Damascus, and finds himself in the company of a Christian named Ananias, who teaches him of the faith. Was Saul converted? He never uses that term to speak of his own experience. In his writings, he speaks of his call rather than his conversion. Throughout his missionary activities, Paul does not appear to have seen himself as having left Judaism; he sees a fundamental continuity between his past and his present. Rather, through this dramatic experience, his focus is changed. Once he had persecuted Christianity as heretical; now he applies the same zeal to advancing it. In 9:5, responding to the voice that says, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Paul calls out, "Who are you, Lord?" The fact that he uses the word "Lord" indicates that he is already prepared to give the speaker his full devotion. He just doesn't know yet who this is. By the same token, few of the people who come to faith in our day are outright unbelievers. Most believe in something; they are just waiting to meet the one who is deserving of their devotion.
New Testament Lesson
Revelation 5:11-14
Worthy Is The Lamb
John's vision enters a new phase, as he hears the voice of a multitude singing songs of praise. Angels, living creatures and elders, surrounding the heavenly throne, are singing "with full voice" the words of a hymn: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered ..." (v. 12). The multitude praises "the one seated on the throne ... and the Lamb" (God and Jesus Christ -- v. 13). Revelation is full of these hymnic interludes. They may have been hymns of the early church, but more likely they were written by John. These texts have served as the inspiration for countless modern hymns. James Luther Mays and P. Row have written in Harper's Bible Commentary, "The Romans (borrowing Hellenistic kingship traditions) developed an elaborate imperial court ceremonial that included the singing of hymns and the shouting of acclamations to the emperor" (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988, comment on Revelation 6:1). Ever eager to show the superiority of Christianity to the Roman ways, John may well have appropriated the ceremonials of emperor worship to apply to the Christian God. One of John's principal goals in writing this book is to demonstrate the superiority of the reign of Christ to the reign of the emperor.
The Gospel
John 21:1-19
Breakfast On The Beach
The final chapter of John's Gospel is a sort of appendix, relating a final post-resurrection appearance of Jesus. Jesus appears to a group of disciples, including Peter, who have returned to their former livelihood of fishing. At first, there is nothing extraordinary about the encounter. He is a man on the shore, shouting out that perennial fishermen's question, "Catching anything?" It is not for some time -- only after they follow the stranger's instructions and haul in a miraculously large catch that Peter and the others realize who this is. Ever the impetuous one, Peter leaps into the sea and swims for shore, arriving ahead of the heavily laden boat. They discover that Jesus is tending a fire on the beach, on which fish are cooking. He feeds them, in a scene reminiscent of the Lord's Supper. Jesus then asks Peter a question, repeating it three times: "Do you love me more than these?" The threefold repetition effectively undoes Peter's threefold denial. Jesus is forgiving and transforming him, and equipping him for the tasks that lie ahead. Jesus' last words to Peter are, "Follow me." And he does.
Preaching Possibilities
It's one of those scenes that, in a few short weeks, will be duplicated all over the United States. Imagine a brilliant, sunny day in late spring. Outdoors, on a university football field, or maybe on the main quad of a liberal arts college, folding chairs will be set up, row upon row. Perched on each one will be a proud parent or other family member. Down front, in a special section, will be the squirming graduates, capped and gowned. Under many of the gowns will be shorts and sandals, but from all outward appearances, this graduating class will look the very picture of scholarship.
Feeling suddenly self-conscious, the grinning graduates will march across the platform, receive their diplomas (real or symbolic) from the hand of the superintendent or dean, and return to the ranks of their classmates: these special people they've felt so close to, most of whom they will never see again.
At the punch bowl reception a few minutes later, some older family member -- a parent, or maybe an uncle or an aunt -- may walk up to a graduate and offer congratulations. Then, with suddenly tear-filled eyes, and gripping the graduate's hand a few moments longer than feels necessary, the relative may say, "You know, you may not realize it now, but these years you've just completed are the best years of your life."
Words kindly meant, to be sure, but they are among the deadliest words one human being can offer to another. Consider the implications of telling a bright-eyed young graduate, "These are the best years of your life." It's as though the older relative -- the guide -- is saying, "You may think you're at the threshold of something new, but don't fool yourself, kid, it's all downhill from here." Thank you, older generation.
Peter may be feeling something similar as he says to his comrades, "I'm going fishing," and they reply, "We will go with you." What a wild ride it has been! For several of them, it all began on a narrow strip of beach along the Sea of Galilee. They had just hauled their boat up on the sand, and were tightening the knots of their fishing nets, when this strange character walked up to them and said, "Come with me, and I will show you how to fish for people."
Why, precisely, they followed him, they could not have explained at the time -- although, later on, they realized God was in it. God was in it all -- in their walking the length and breadth of Galilee and Judea, in the teachings, the healings, even the times they'd had to flee a town a few steps ahead of the "righteous ones" who got so angry, so fast. God was in the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, too; in the sharing of bread and wine in the upper room; and yes, even in the blood and despair and pain of Calvary. God was in it all -- but especially in those surprising, paradigm-smashing moments when they saw the Master again, and touched his nail-scarred hands and feet.
But what could possibly top this? Peter felt certain these had been the best years of his life. What was there to do now, but go back resignedly to the fishnets? Peter knew he would enjoy, one day, dandling a grandchild on his knee, and saying with a wink, "Did I ever tell you about the time Jesus invited me, the fisherman, to go fishing?" Then, a little voice would pipe up: "Oh, Granddad, you've only told me 100 times!"
But that wasn't, in fact, the way the rest of Peter's life would unfold. This fisherman would have little time for fishing, ever again. He would devote the rest of his years to spreading the word about Jesus, this man he had come to know as Son of God.
And when the sun rose on the last day of Peter's life, he would know that day for what it was. He would know, that morning, that a cross awaited him: an upside-down cross, as he had asked of his Roman persecutors. (For who was he to share the same way of dying as the one he was proud to call "Lord"?)
The Bible tells us about one experience that turned Peter around, that convinced him the best years of his life lay not behind him, but ahead. It's the story John tells, in chapter 21. Peter and his companions are in their boat after a long night of fishing. Despite all their well-honed skills, they have caught nothing. As they row wearily back toward shore, the first rays of dawn reveal a man standing on the beach. He cups his hands around his mouth and shouts, "You don't have any fish, do you?"
Some wise guy. How does he know?
"Why don't you throw the net on the right side of the boat?"
For some reason, they do what he says. Maybe this crazy landlubber will bring them luck.
"Luck" is hardly the word for it. Their net is full to bursting, heavier than any net they've ever hauled in. When they feel that weight, they know: It is the Lord! Peter's so anxious to see him, he leaps into the water and swims for shore.
The Lord cooks them a breakfast of grilled fish, there along the beach. He's already got a charcoal fire going, as if he knew for certain they would come back with fish. Of course he did!
"This," says John, "was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead." Maybe there had to be a third time, for Peter's sake. Maybe it took three times of looking up and seeing the Lord standing there, to counterbalance the bitter memory of having said three times, "I don't know him!"
John could have ended the story here, but he doesn't. There's more. After they've eaten their fill, Jesus turns abruptly to Peter and asks him three times if he loves him. Three times Peter says, "Yes," and three times Jesus tells him to feed his sheep. Jesus is turning back the clock. He's allowing Peter the rare privilege of traveling back through time, to undo the biggest mistake of his life.
It only remains for Jesus to hint about the martyrdom that is in Peter's future. Once he has done that, the risen Lord concludes by saying once again, "Follow me." They have come full circle from one Galilean beach to another. "Follow me and I will show you how to catch people." Catch people, indeed!
As anyone who practices the sport of fly fishing knows, the real experts of the sport practice a method of fishing called "catch and release." There they stand in their waders, thigh deep in the water, flicking that filmy fishing line back and forth across the stream's surface. When they catch one, though, they measure it and immediately put it back in the stream -- so as to preserve the natural resource for others.
"Catch and release" describes what Jesus accomplishes that day, on the Galilean shore. For the second time in their lives, the Lord catches a few fishermen. Only this time, he releases them. He sets them free, with the gift of the Holy Spirit, to fulfill their destiny.
Prayer For The Day
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you, and I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore I will trust you always. Though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my peril alone. (A prayer of Thomas Merton, paraphrasing Psalm 23)
To Illustrate
The motivational speaker and writer, Win Arn, was once making a short film titled Circus. Starring in the film were some young people who also happened to be real, live trapeze artists. During a break in the filming, one of the young stars went up to the producer, pointed up to the trapeze and said, "Why don't you try it, Mr. Arn?"
After some further prodding from his young stars, he did -- although the thought of climbing one of those high towers terrified him. Fifty feet above the sawdust of the circus ring, Win crawled out onto the tiny platform, looked down, and noticed that the safety net was all but invisible.
He almost went back down the ladder, but the shouted encouragement of the young performers convinced him. He grabbed the swing and launched out into space, grabbed the second one in mid-air, and before he knew it, landed on his feet on the opposite platform. His young actors cheered.
Writing about this unique experience later, Win Arn recalled that he made three important discoveries that day:
• Discovery number one: You can't hold onto the old bar while you reach for the other.
• Discovery number two: You don't have forever to make up your mind.
• Discovery number three: It is a frightening experience to make that kind of commitment.
The commitment we make, in resolving to follow Jesus Christ, is equally risky.
***
In his book, Spirit Walker, Hank Wesselman tells about a young man in a primitive tribe of hunter-gatherers who is becoming a shaman. He has had some experiences of the spirit world. His mentor tells him that his life is going to be different because of this.
He says to him: "You have been called, and you cannot refuse the call. Once the spirits have chosen a person to become a shaman, the invitation cannot be denied. To do so is dangerous. There is a pattern within the mystery of life of which we are all a part, and the spirits have decided that the time has come for you to become that which you are destined to be."
-- John Sumwalt, Storyshare, 8/21/05, www.csspub.com/
***
Anthony DeMello illustrates the transformative power of the Holy Spirit working through shared lives in a fable titled "The Disabled Fox" in his book The Song of the Bird.
A fable of the Arab mystic Sa'di:
A man walking through the forest saw a fox that had lost its legs and wondered how it lived. Then he saw a tiger come in with game in its mouth. The tiger had its fill and left the rest of the meat for the fox.
The next day God fed the fox by the means of the same tiger. The man began to wonder at God's greatness and said to himself, "I too shall rest in a corner with full trust in the Lord and he will provide me with all I need." He did this for many days but nothing happened, and he was almost at death's door when he heard a voice say "O you who are in the path of error, open your eyes to the truth! Follow the example of the tiger and stop imitating the disabled fox."
DeMello continues with his own experiences:
On the street I saw a naked child, hungry and shivering in the cold. I became angry and said to God, "Why do you permit this? Why don't you do something?" For a while God said nothing. That night he replied, quite suddenly, "I certainly did something. I made you."
*****
When you follow your bliss, doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors; and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else.
-- Joseph Campbell
***
The desert world accepts my homage with its customary silence. The grand indifference. As any man of sense would want it. If a voice from the clouds suddenly addressed me, speaking my name in trombone tones, or some angel in an aura of blue flame came floating toward me along the canyon rim, I think I would be more embarrassed than frightened -- embarrassed by the vulgarity of such display. That is what depresses in the mysticism of Carlos Castaneda and his like: their poverty of imagination. As any honest magician knows, true magic inheres in the ordinary, the commonplace, the everyday, the mystery of the obvious. Only petty minds and trivial souls yearn for supernatural events, incapable of perceiving that everything -- everything! -- within and around them is pure miracle.
-- Edward Abbey, from Abbey's Road, cited by Belden C. Lane, The Solace of Fierce Landscapes (Oxford, 1998)
