baby, you're a firework

It was so much more than a fireworks display, and I think most Boston's Fireworks people knew it. There we were, 500,000 of us staring up into the heavens, in complete awe at the miracle unfolding far above us. A collective "oooo" - rather like an "amen" -- erupted spontaneously from the crowds. Our necks hurt from craning to see the spectacle. Our faces hurt from the goofy grins plastered there for 20 solid minutes, the length of Boston's massive fireworks show. It's hard not to think of God and church at a time like that, and that's true for me (the priest) as well as for the mostly non-religious, not-even-especially-spiritual people with whom I spent the 4th of July. As we walked back, Sam talked about the "beatific" smiles on everyone's faces (beatific, as in saintly, filled with light). Steph talked about how cool it was to feel so small next to something so huge, and how rarely we experience that, especially in the city. I chimed in, "Kinda like when you're in one of those huge, Gothic cathedrals." And they all said, "Yeah, like that!" Why invite someone to church? Because part of living well as a human being is getting perspective on where we are in the grand scheme. We need moments when we feel utterly connected to each other and to the great transcendent reality just beyond our reach. We need moments to say "ooo" together, and moments to say "amen." We need to feel the sizzle that reminds us we're alive, and to look around and see bright, joy-filled faces around us, in spite of the crumbling world around us. We're children of God, each filled with the Spirit as bright as any firework. I don't know about you, but I need all the reminders I can get.

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