An Orderly Account
November 16, 2011 | 
Author 
The gospel of Luke begins “Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account…I too decided to write an orderly account.” As I prepared our Advent Bible study, focusing on the personalities that appear in the first chapter, reflections of God’s orderly account appeared in a vision, not of ethereal quality, but of material quality. How appropriate that as we approach the celebration of incarnation that the vision of God’s orderly account appears in a vision of the world I saw with my eyes, walked upon with my feet and touched with my fingers.
Thousands of them shimmering
Pieces of gold illuminating the space in which they hang
From gray limbs and branches, brighter now as silver for the reflection of the golden glow.
Thousands of gold leaf pieces, perfectly shaped
Petaled on the ground, carpeting the trail
Walking on light, the golden radiance lifting
the countenance of my despair and disquiet
To contented stillness
Perfect order of chaotic placement
Let the leaves fall where they may
This is the orderly account
Of God’s chaotic created order
Set down in seasons of gold and orange
Barren and gray
Green and growing.
Lovely poetry. We’ll look forward to the study.
The colors were the same we selected for our wedding-48 years ago on Nov. 25. It was the Day of National Mourning, the day Kennedy was buried. Barbara’s mother and uncle had been held up at the airport in Dalles when he was shot. After our rehearsal and dinner, in China Town, on Sunday night, my brother hosted a “Bachelor Party” at the Pink Pussycat in Hollywood. It was amateur night! All day monday, I was confined to me old bedroom because Barbara and her mother were at the house until it was time for them to check into the motel where Barbara would dress. So I was not near a TV. Eceryone showed up at the wedding at the Chapel in Wilshire Ave. Presbyterian Church, where Barbara was the Soprano soloist. There were no classes, of course, people were distraught over the funeral events. Many came in black. It was a typical west coast wedding. No dinner, just cake, nuts and punch. I could afford one night in the honeymoon suite at the Beverly Hilton. Max and Bea Krone had us for dinner at their home in Idyllwild, the next night. Then a couplpe of teach-friends lent us their home in Las Vegas. They left names of friends that could get us in to shows on the strip without paying. On Saturday, we drove to L.A. in time to attend the USC-UCLA game, which had been postponed from the previous Saturday. That night we spent our first night in the glass-enclosed patio of Darlene Lawrence’s mother’s in Englewood. We were leaving for our State-Department Sponsored tour of Europe and Israel in January. We only had an “electric sheet” for extra warmth.
Julie,
I don’t have your email address. contact mee some time, please. I need your help.
In love,
Bob Hasty