I AM ONE WITH EVERYTHING
MY INTENTION during my Clown-life is to have an experience of unity from within me radiating out and encompassing all I experience. From the moment I close the front door to when I return, I focus on being the clown and seeing the best in everyone I connect with. This pretty much involves a letting go of control and allowing God to create the experience. It is almost like GOD is looking down from Heaven and saying, “Wow! Things look pretty bad in Washington, D.C. Lets see if we can get Reverend Absurd to go out to play and create some fun and laughter.” Now, Reverend Absurd is an Auguste Clown whose fate it is to be the butt end of the jokes.
One Spring, I got the inspiration to go to Christ Church, the church that George Washington attended in Alexandria, Virginia. It is an historical building with a large congregation still active today. I was to have the theme of JOY and put all Bible references to JOY on the balloons. From the Bible Concordance, I discovered that there were very few references to JOY in the Old Testament, but a large number in the New.
Rev. Absurd with Professor Eternal
Pentecost that year was beautiful. I had a Mylar balloon flying from my suspenders and carried Professor Eternal, my little hand-made rag doll Clown, with my Joy balloons.
Three friends wanted to go with me as helpers. We planned to arrive between the first and second services, and the congregation from both services filled the courtyard. Everyone, including the Minister, thought we had been hired as a surprise for the Pentecost Celebration. We had great fun as we handed out the balloons, talked about the various references to JOY in the Bible, and played with Reverend Absurd’s various walk-around humor props.
Then the Minister said, “You must come to the service!” I started making excuses, but he took me by the elbow and said, “No. You must come to our Pentecost Service!” And he escorted me into the sanctuary. He insisted and would accept only Yes, of course, as an answer.
Well, at least when we got inside he let me pick our pew. In this Church, there are little doors at the end of each pew that the ushers open to let you into the row. I chose the last row in back on the right, and the usher smilingly let us all in. I sat down and thought, Well, I can escape from here if I need to!
The music was playing, the sunlight was pouring through the windows, and I settled down out of sight SAFE at last! This is an Episcopalian Church, and on Pentecost they were having communion. The Minister and two helpers got ready and called us forth. To my horror, the ushers headed to the back, right side, of the church, opened the little door to our pew and motioned us four to LEAD THE WAY! Unbeknownst to me, that was the order of communion in this church: starting with the back right section then row-by-row up to the front, then the same with the center section, and finally the left section.
So there I was, walking down the isle, balloon flying, clown garb and Professor Eternal on my arm. When we got to the altar they put the cup of wine on the rail, and as I knelt the woman helper put a cup of wine there for Professor Eternal. I looked up at two beautiful twinkling eyes of God and a smiling face, someone who looked like she was about to start laughing. She nodded at Professor Eternal as I offered him the wine and quietly drank it for him.
Well, on my way back to the pew, my face was probably as red as my wig. And I was saying under my breath to God, “Well, you really got me this time. Again, You win! I hope You enjoyed Your Pentecost this year!”
[Written February-1-10]