First day of my Season of justice, kindness and humility.

Here's hoping everyone enjoyed time with family, friends, loved ones, your hobbies, the homeless, the less fortunate and those in need of grace, mercy and hope.

To me, it feels as though we enter a meditative season of collective reflection and celebration on the day after Thanksgiving. Christians, Jews, Muslims all over the world do their best to aid less fortunate neighbors in their communities in this season. We are so alike in that way.

Throughout this season I hear this verse in my head ... over and over and over again ... like a meditation;

"But what does the Lord require of you,
but to do justice,
to love kindness, and
to walk humbly with your God?"

Part of this is easy to understand, whether we as individuals participate in it or not ...

Do justice ... I would submit that the modern word for justice in politics, is ethics. I found this letter about justice, from last year, while I was surfing around looking for something else, of course.

Love kindness (mercy) ... Homeless shelters are in dire need of toys & gifts for their folks this year. They no longer get help from agencies that helped in the past because they cannot meet the new requirement to provide the home address of each person they help. They help homeless people. Raleigh Rescue Mission would be a supremely worthy and very grateful recipient of any small charity you can see your way to give.

It is just not that hard to do this kind of charity at this time of year. There are people in need of justice and mercy everywhere.

The hard thing to do -- any time of year -- is the last thing "... to walk humbly ...." I would submit that it is hard to be humble when one has predetermined who they'll listen to and who will be ignored. When I went looking for a meditative verse this morning, I found this ... just read the first page (.pdf). It addresses the "walk humbly" issue by addressing the "willingness to listen" issue.

And lastly, to honor the humble, I'm sharing Thanksgiving Day's rescued diaries at dailyKos. Here is where one finds the voice of the little guy, the outsider, the brilliant and thoughtful, the hurried and busy, the caring and sharing, who post only rarely. Here one finds small personal stories and tales of those who "do justice" (and ethics) & "love kindness" (and humor). These little diaries are often like sweet golden gems. And sometimes they're just funny. :) Enjoy.

Open Thread and Diary Rescue