It's Not About the Deer

My neighbor has a concrete deer in his yard, I have mused over it many a morning.  I am preaching today in Halls Tennessee at Halls First Baptist.  My two daughters are on the beach in Virginia and Texas.  My two sons are attending a sculpture workshop.  My lover sleeps as does my dog.  My mom is still in a virtual lockdown at her assisted living home.  Covid 19, dust storms, riots, and pulling down statues are happening all over.  In many ways the world is like a concrete deer, we are in it but we don’t need to be caught up in it, it’s just not that real.  What is real is my neighbor, not his concrete deer, Mr. Lanny is.  No one is marching down my neighborhood, we wave at each other, no one rioting, we smile and say hi, no them against us, no black masks or tear gas, no black or white or red just varying beautiful shades of brown.  It is peaceful here because we try and always remember we are neighbors; we are all scoundrels but we accept that and each other—and no one is trying to turn over my neighbor’s concrete deer.     

My neighbor's concrete deer.