Saturday, October 30, 2021

One Man’s Ceiling is Another Man’s Floor (a Steve Orr scripture reflection)

 

Do you like Paul Simon? 


I have to confess, when he and Garfunkel split up, I couldn’t imagine how either would make good music without the other. I’ve always loved their amazing harmonies. Songs like The Sounds of Silence, The Boxer, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, and Mrs. Robinson are still on my play list. 

Once it was just Paul, well … let’s just say I was skeptical. But, then, I heard Kodachrome, closely followed by Loves Me Like a Rock. He had my attention. And, since it was also on the same album, it was no stretch for me to give a listen to One Man’s Ceiling is Another Man’s Floor.  

That one was interesting. 

Paul Simon is a storyteller. And he does it both with what’s in his lyrics and what’s not in his lyrics. We usually think of musical storytelling as a feature of Country Music, where they say a song is “three chords and the truth.” Well, even though he’s not writing Country ballads, Paul Simon is a musical truth teller, and he uses a lot more than three chords to do it. It’s kind of magical. 

He was already working that magic back in 1973 when he released Ceiling. Have you heard his interesting little song about apartment living? If you haven’t already stopped to listen to it, you should go do that now. The link is below.**

Sure, you could hear that song as a caution to all who choose apartment living. But, what if it’s really a metaphor about transcending limitations? What if his message is that what one person views as a full stop is in fact just the starting point for someone who can perceive it as a launchpad? What if every ceiling we encounter is always a floor on the next level? 

What if it’s not really a limitation, at all?

I think that’s what’s happening in this week’s selection from the book of Ruth. She had it all; a full life. Then, she hit the ceiling. Her father-in-law died. Her husband died. Suddenly, she was a widow in a world where widows had few options, where poverty was the likely scenario. A woman she has come to regard as a mother tells her they have no future together. What she thought was her life just disintegrated before her eyes. 

And then, as if to make it really clear it was over, she was told, “Go home.”

Ruth rejected that ceiling. She didn’t know what the future might bring. But, she knew she wanted to spend it with Naomi, to share her culture and to worship the true God. She was stepping out in faith, stepping up onto that ceiling and making it a floor for whatever was going to come next. 

So, when you hit your ceiling, check how solid it is. The harder the ceiling, the better floor it will make. And remember the lesson of Ruth: faith, love, and commitment will transcend those limitations. 

Start climbing. 
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**Link to the song, with lyrics:



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Will you be with us Friday for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast? Join us at 8:00am in person at Our Breakfast Place or online on Zoom.** We have a great time exploring scripture, kicking around what it means, and laughing. See you there? 

Blessings,
Steve 

**Contact me for the Zoom link

NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera if you don’t wish to be seen and to mute the microphone if you don’t wish to speak.

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY & THE COMING WEEK


Ruth 1:1-18

Psalm 146

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Psalm 119:1-8

Hebrews 9:11-14

Mark 12:28-34

Proper 26 (31) (October 31, 2021)


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