I've never considered myself a plant person, but boy, do I love to garden. There is something satisfying in growing living things and eating the fruit of them. There is labor in the growing; there is care in the tending, and the entire process is very pleasing to me. Food is more delicious when it is homegrown. It's more fun, more connected to the earth. Fulfills some part of that man and nature relationship that we need to fill in order to feel fully human.
It's early spring and time for planting. Since it has been so nice, I thought it safe to plant some spring plants. Please frost stay away! My broccoli, tomatoes, onions, garlic, lettuce, carrots, and others are in the ground. I have some more seeds to plant, but I can only plant in spurts since most of the time I feel like I can't get off the couch much less hoe and rake and fertilize. But I've rallied enough in the past week to get some of it done and now there is nothing to do but, wait. The waiting period has begun. Now I must wait for all the seeds I've planted to sprout and grow and bear fruit. Wait. Wait. Wait.
It's a great step of faith, to believe what I've planted will actually grow. Most seeds have a 2 to 3 week germination period so I won't see any results for awhile. And while I know that, that still doesn't stop me from meticulously observing my plots to see if anything has sprouted. Most of onions and garlic have and their stalks make me so happy and proud. But all the others, well, I have to wait, and trust, and endure to see if they take to the ground and grow, too.
And yes I feel that it is very Biblical and Christian to wait. Most characters in the Bible spent most of their lives waiting. Noah for rain, Abraham for a son, Israel for a promise land, Israel to return to the promise land after exile, for the Messiah, for the second coming. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Most of the Bible is about waiting! James write in chapter 5 of his epistle:
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
A very appropriate passage for a gardener, don't you think? Establish your hearts? You mean plant establish your roots. Be patient, the coming of the Lord is at hand? More be patient, the coming fruit will be in your hand. And I guess, no matter what direction you take the metaphor, this kind of waiting is exciting ( as opposed to all the other kinds present in the Bible). Producing fruit is exciting to me. Jesus coming back will be exciting, too. There is a lot of work to be done, but there is a lot to look forward to. A lot of fruit and vegetables to look forward to. And if you have not had a carrot grown in your own backyard, you are missing a great pleasure in life. ... Just like if you haven't met Jesus yet, you, too, are missing out on some great, meaningful, satisfying, life giving stuff that is readily available to you if you take the time and care to plant it. Amen.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Day 77- The Enchanted April
Published in 1922 by Elizabeth Von Arnim, The Enchanted April, is a beautiful novel about four strangers whose hearts transform one April when vacationing together in Italy. Currently, the book is free on Kindle and on google reader or by simply googling the title. The movie of the same name with Polly Walker and Alfred Molina is quite charming, too. The simple straightforward plot is refreshing and uplifting, just like a nice spring day after winter.
The story follows four women and their plan to escape dreary London one spring. Lotty Wilkins is the bumbling, frumpy housewife who wants to get away from her husband and has a knack for saying awkward things- mostly because she says whatever comes into her head. One of her best lines is " I saw Keats the other day, in front of his house where he used to live..." Keats had died a hundred years before that statement. Rose Arbuthnot is a pious, strict woman who atones for her husbands alleged immorality by constant charity work. Her stern front is actually a fence around her knotted, grief-filled heart. The other two women, Mrs. Fisher and Lady Caroline are very wealthy and have their own reasons for a month long stay at the medieval castle, San Salvatore, on the coast of Italy.
There aren't too many deep and complex truths embedded in to the plot (though many Jane Austen-esque themes), except for the one that says beauty transforms. Overwhelming beauty has a strong power to alter us, especially from the inside out. And that is what happens in San Salvatore for each of the women. There is deep magic in wisteria, roses, snapdragons, pergola, cherry trees, peach trees and an old romantic castle on a beautiful bay outside of Genoa. Magic that helps these women find the love within them. The novel tracks the simple changes in them. Each goes from being drab and lacking into glorious creatures filled with love. For where beauty is found, love sprouts. At least, that is what the book argues. And love is what makes them truly beautiful. (like the countryside).
And what transformations these women experience! They begin to love freely and happily, finding contentment within their souls and with others. I hopefully am not spoiling the plot because I rather wish to tempt you to read it for the message of hope it gives: beauty can touch us and change us. We can find the love within us to love what is around us. And I think that is a very needed message in a world filled with fear, dread, and sorrow. All right, not all of us might not be able to take a trip to Italy to release the bonds around our souls, but I think the spirit of the method is still applicable. Find beauty. F forge relationships that help the seeds of goodness grow when we have troubled hearts.
And so the book is a great story of how the gospel works. Granted, it is not Christian or religious in any overt ways, but all good literature is that way. It is better to show than tell, fiction 101. But the takeaway and showing is clear: beauty is a form of grace and when God's beauty, God's grace touches us, we cannot help but be transformed. We cannot help but find hope. Love others. Love ourselves. Find joy. Isn't that why Jesus came? So that we can have life and have it fully. For these four women, it took a trip to Italy and wisteria to grasp that. Perhaps, so should we.
The story follows four women and their plan to escape dreary London one spring. Lotty Wilkins is the bumbling, frumpy housewife who wants to get away from her husband and has a knack for saying awkward things- mostly because she says whatever comes into her head. One of her best lines is " I saw Keats the other day, in front of his house where he used to live..." Keats had died a hundred years before that statement. Rose Arbuthnot is a pious, strict woman who atones for her husbands alleged immorality by constant charity work. Her stern front is actually a fence around her knotted, grief-filled heart. The other two women, Mrs. Fisher and Lady Caroline are very wealthy and have their own reasons for a month long stay at the medieval castle, San Salvatore, on the coast of Italy.
There aren't too many deep and complex truths embedded in to the plot (though many Jane Austen-esque themes), except for the one that says beauty transforms. Overwhelming beauty has a strong power to alter us, especially from the inside out. And that is what happens in San Salvatore for each of the women. There is deep magic in wisteria, roses, snapdragons, pergola, cherry trees, peach trees and an old romantic castle on a beautiful bay outside of Genoa. Magic that helps these women find the love within them. The novel tracks the simple changes in them. Each goes from being drab and lacking into glorious creatures filled with love. For where beauty is found, love sprouts. At least, that is what the book argues. And love is what makes them truly beautiful. (like the countryside).
And what transformations these women experience! They begin to love freely and happily, finding contentment within their souls and with others. I hopefully am not spoiling the plot because I rather wish to tempt you to read it for the message of hope it gives: beauty can touch us and change us. We can find the love within us to love what is around us. And I think that is a very needed message in a world filled with fear, dread, and sorrow. All right, not all of us might not be able to take a trip to Italy to release the bonds around our souls, but I think the spirit of the method is still applicable. Find beauty. F forge relationships that help the seeds of goodness grow when we have troubled hearts.
And so the book is a great story of how the gospel works. Granted, it is not Christian or religious in any overt ways, but all good literature is that way. It is better to show than tell, fiction 101. But the takeaway and showing is clear: beauty is a form of grace and when God's beauty, God's grace touches us, we cannot help but be transformed. We cannot help but find hope. Love others. Love ourselves. Find joy. Isn't that why Jesus came? So that we can have life and have it fully. For these four women, it took a trip to Italy and wisteria to grasp that. Perhaps, so should we.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Day 75- running 10 miles in 6 weeks?
Before I found out I was pregnant, I signed up to run a 10 miler. I trained pretty well in January and half of February, but most of March has been a bust. Last week I ran around 3 miles no sweat, so I think that if I can run 7 miles before the race date I can go for the long distance. That and if I keep a slow pace (10 min miles) for the first 6-7 miles, i can run 15 min miles for the last three miles. At least that is my goal. Turns out I can also downgrade to the 4/5 mile race the day before. That might be my better option. Oh boy, I've got a lot of work to do ahead of me.
I love running. I didn't always love it, but now I do. Running to me is one of God's good gifts. To quote Eric Liddel, it is a way we can feel God's pleasure upon us. He gave us a marvelous body that can do incredible things. When we make it feel incredible, through exercise and care, it makes us feel pretty great, too. Call it a runner's high, but when I am out there pounding pavement there is a great serenity and unity within my heart, mind, body and soul. Our bodies were created to run, work hard, have all the muscles moving at once; and it is truly glorious when it happens.
Working out is extremely good for my soul. I think it has to do with the whole spirit, mind, body connect. We are meant to be physical creatures and so not only do we need to take care of ourselves mentally and spiritually, but physically as well. The body is a temple, and to keep it all in good and right order, it needs to be exercised, well and fully, in my humble opinion.My muscles love a good challenge and so does my heart, my head, and my soul.
Plus, the body is a terrible thing to waste. It can do so much! Just look at our fascination with sports and the Olympics. Bodies are able to wonderful things and they are not outside of the common man's grasp. I believe all people should have some sort of physical activity that they enjoy, to keep them sharp and keep them healthy. So much so, if I ever ran for political office, it would be part of my politically unpalatable platform- do you know how much we could save in health care if people ate right and exercised properly and regularly? Billions, maybe trillions. less heart attacks, cholesterol pills, type 2 diabetes, stronger bodies for fighting diseases... the list goes on.I think that everyone should be able to experience endorphins that really do make your body feel awesome, in moderation of course.
Oh gosh, when I run, I feel like I getting to take part in some action or some primal rite and ritual. I am not a big sports fan because I would rather play the sport than watch it on television. Same thing with books and movies- would much rather be part of the action, then watch other people do cool things. Granted, it's not fighting a bad guy or running away from evil monsters, but the adrenaline is still there, I am still having to work like the hunter gatherers of yesteryear who only had their bodies for transportation. And if I had in one of the aforementioned situations, you bet I'd be thankful for the hours and miles I put in to keep my body fit and fast.
Not that I am that fast pregnant, but still pretty pleased I am in decent shape. Can easily run 5 miles if pushed... not so sure about 10, but if I train, I'll get there.
But who finds time to do long runs with a 18 month old? Not I...
PS It is also how I connect with nature. No headphones for me. I hear the birds, the bees, the sounds of the street that connect with place. Places have souls, according to Terry Pratchett and Walker Percy (two totally different types of writers: fantasy and a successor to Faulkner, respectively). And when I run I listen to the soul of city or place I am running in. And that gives me peace, joy, faith. It's great. At peace with my body, at peace with my soul, at peace with nature, at peace with God. That is what I find when I run.
I love running. I didn't always love it, but now I do. Running to me is one of God's good gifts. To quote Eric Liddel, it is a way we can feel God's pleasure upon us. He gave us a marvelous body that can do incredible things. When we make it feel incredible, through exercise and care, it makes us feel pretty great, too. Call it a runner's high, but when I am out there pounding pavement there is a great serenity and unity within my heart, mind, body and soul. Our bodies were created to run, work hard, have all the muscles moving at once; and it is truly glorious when it happens.
Working out is extremely good for my soul. I think it has to do with the whole spirit, mind, body connect. We are meant to be physical creatures and so not only do we need to take care of ourselves mentally and spiritually, but physically as well. The body is a temple, and to keep it all in good and right order, it needs to be exercised, well and fully, in my humble opinion.My muscles love a good challenge and so does my heart, my head, and my soul.
Plus, the body is a terrible thing to waste. It can do so much! Just look at our fascination with sports and the Olympics. Bodies are able to wonderful things and they are not outside of the common man's grasp. I believe all people should have some sort of physical activity that they enjoy, to keep them sharp and keep them healthy. So much so, if I ever ran for political office, it would be part of my politically unpalatable platform- do you know how much we could save in health care if people ate right and exercised properly and regularly? Billions, maybe trillions. less heart attacks, cholesterol pills, type 2 diabetes, stronger bodies for fighting diseases... the list goes on.I think that everyone should be able to experience endorphins that really do make your body feel awesome, in moderation of course.
Oh gosh, when I run, I feel like I getting to take part in some action or some primal rite and ritual. I am not a big sports fan because I would rather play the sport than watch it on television. Same thing with books and movies- would much rather be part of the action, then watch other people do cool things. Granted, it's not fighting a bad guy or running away from evil monsters, but the adrenaline is still there, I am still having to work like the hunter gatherers of yesteryear who only had their bodies for transportation. And if I had in one of the aforementioned situations, you bet I'd be thankful for the hours and miles I put in to keep my body fit and fast.
Not that I am that fast pregnant, but still pretty pleased I am in decent shape. Can easily run 5 miles if pushed... not so sure about 10, but if I train, I'll get there.
But who finds time to do long runs with a 18 month old? Not I...
PS It is also how I connect with nature. No headphones for me. I hear the birds, the bees, the sounds of the street that connect with place. Places have souls, according to Terry Pratchett and Walker Percy (two totally different types of writers: fantasy and a successor to Faulkner, respectively). And when I run I listen to the soul of city or place I am running in. And that gives me peace, joy, faith. It's great. At peace with my body, at peace with my soul, at peace with nature, at peace with God. That is what I find when I run.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Day 72- Hunger Games, why I like the books and how it relates to the christian faith
Less than 10 days until the highly anticipated release of "The Hunger Games" movie with the girl from "Winter Bones." In February, I reread the "Hunger Games" series to refresh my memory of the major themes and characters. My second read was as thrilling and engaging as my first. Suzanne Collins, the author, does a great job of recreating North America as Panem, the oppressive, tyrannical nation where the capital gets all the goods and the other 12 districts are slave states. Each districts exports certain commodities to the capital. Katniss, the heroine, is from District 12 where they provide coal for Panem and lives in the area that once was part of the Appalachians. Every year each district must send a boy and girl tribute to gladiator-esque fight in an arena. The fight is to the death with only one victor allowed. It is brutal punishment for the districts who once rebelled against the capital back in the day, to lose two of their young every year. The book takes an interesting look at dictatorships, what it is like to grow up in extreme poverty and violence, and what it is like to be oppressed. Good reminders to value the freedom and wealth and limited powers of our leaders we have in our country today- because one day we might not have it (and many people in the world do not have it).
From a literature perspective, The Hunger Games" series has well developed characters, surprising plot twists, and revelations of common human truths and experiences, all the requirements of a good read. And to have truly read the story, all three books need to be read. There are so many haunting, powerful scenes in the second and third books, that without experiencing them, you miss the depth and power of the message Collins writes to us. That's also a mark of a good read: if a scene haunts you after you have finished reading the book. Scenes that haunt me are usually emotionally impactful, like a kick in the gut metaphysically. And there are multiple scenes in "Mockingjay" and "Catching Fire" that leave the wind knocked out of me due to their relevance and insight into the human condition. I mull over them and over them, awed by the pictures they paint.
One human condition that Collins paints and incorporates into the series that I don't think gets enough press is PTSD. I think those scenes awe me the most with how they portray characters who have lost everyone they loved. experienced unheard of trauma and abuse, and yet, still fight for what was right. These characters, many of whom are victors of the Hunger Games, react to their trauma differently, but the depth of hurt of the human heart and soul is there. The descriptions are brutal, raw, and hopefully, accurate. Not to give much of the plot away, I'll say some of my favorite scenes, are when Katniss works through her trauma. I love the image of her wandering through an old building, finding places to spend the day: she hides in closets, cabinets, and bathtubs to recover. She just lets herself be. One day at a time.
What a poignant picture of how some people grieve. And that is important because it balances the heroics of the other parts of the books. Great gains can come with great losses. In Harry Potter, there was the same message: with great triumph, there comes great loss. And while that is not inherently a christian idea, it still holds to the story of Christ. His sacrifice on the cross was huge gain for us, but it was also a big sacrifice and so married loss and triumph. The book does a decent job of expounding upon themes of sorrow and joy, and therefore, has a great handle on the human condition and human experience.
Another interesting fact about the series is the only series that comes to mind that is completely secular, with no reference to religion in it anywhere. Okay, there is mammon, but that is a bit of a stretch to call it a religion present in the book. There are "rites" and "rituals", but no church buildings, no sabbath, no references to God or gods. It is our current culture with its fascination with instant entertainment, looks, and consumerism to the tenth power. Though since it does talk about universal human truths, there are a couple christian themes wound throughout the plot lines. Hope, struggle, importance of community, and agape love are what come to mind. And most of those themes are personified in people. Prim is what Katniss hopes in and maybe represents goodness and beauty; Katniss is survival and struggle; and Peeta is sacrificial love. Haymitch is redemption, though drunken redemption. And the host of other characters that surround Katniss are the community without which Katniss would not have been able to be the hero, her church body, so to speak.
I also enjoy the very noble supporting characters in the book, even with the violence, abuse, and anguish written into every chapter. And these characters surprise the further you get into the books. Add the traumatic events, the losses, the victories, the heartache, the humble realizations of truth and I think you get how a human story is often played out. How the Christian story is often played out. How the fight against evil should be played out, even unto the point of death, which is how Katniss has to play her life out constantly. With friends and neighbors and strangers, with hope, with love, do we fight for what is good and true and right. It is how Jesus fought, it is how we should fight. There's a war out there for our hearts, minds, and souls. Do we have what it takes to be called into the arena like Katniss to combat it?
From a literature perspective, The Hunger Games" series has well developed characters, surprising plot twists, and revelations of common human truths and experiences, all the requirements of a good read. And to have truly read the story, all three books need to be read. There are so many haunting, powerful scenes in the second and third books, that without experiencing them, you miss the depth and power of the message Collins writes to us. That's also a mark of a good read: if a scene haunts you after you have finished reading the book. Scenes that haunt me are usually emotionally impactful, like a kick in the gut metaphysically. And there are multiple scenes in "Mockingjay" and "Catching Fire" that leave the wind knocked out of me due to their relevance and insight into the human condition. I mull over them and over them, awed by the pictures they paint.
One human condition that Collins paints and incorporates into the series that I don't think gets enough press is PTSD. I think those scenes awe me the most with how they portray characters who have lost everyone they loved. experienced unheard of trauma and abuse, and yet, still fight for what was right. These characters, many of whom are victors of the Hunger Games, react to their trauma differently, but the depth of hurt of the human heart and soul is there. The descriptions are brutal, raw, and hopefully, accurate. Not to give much of the plot away, I'll say some of my favorite scenes, are when Katniss works through her trauma. I love the image of her wandering through an old building, finding places to spend the day: she hides in closets, cabinets, and bathtubs to recover. She just lets herself be. One day at a time.
What a poignant picture of how some people grieve. And that is important because it balances the heroics of the other parts of the books. Great gains can come with great losses. In Harry Potter, there was the same message: with great triumph, there comes great loss. And while that is not inherently a christian idea, it still holds to the story of Christ. His sacrifice on the cross was huge gain for us, but it was also a big sacrifice and so married loss and triumph. The book does a decent job of expounding upon themes of sorrow and joy, and therefore, has a great handle on the human condition and human experience.
Another interesting fact about the series is the only series that comes to mind that is completely secular, with no reference to religion in it anywhere. Okay, there is mammon, but that is a bit of a stretch to call it a religion present in the book. There are "rites" and "rituals", but no church buildings, no sabbath, no references to God or gods. It is our current culture with its fascination with instant entertainment, looks, and consumerism to the tenth power. Though since it does talk about universal human truths, there are a couple christian themes wound throughout the plot lines. Hope, struggle, importance of community, and agape love are what come to mind. And most of those themes are personified in people. Prim is what Katniss hopes in and maybe represents goodness and beauty; Katniss is survival and struggle; and Peeta is sacrificial love. Haymitch is redemption, though drunken redemption. And the host of other characters that surround Katniss are the community without which Katniss would not have been able to be the hero, her church body, so to speak.
I also enjoy the very noble supporting characters in the book, even with the violence, abuse, and anguish written into every chapter. And these characters surprise the further you get into the books. Add the traumatic events, the losses, the victories, the heartache, the humble realizations of truth and I think you get how a human story is often played out. How the Christian story is often played out. How the fight against evil should be played out, even unto the point of death, which is how Katniss has to play her life out constantly. With friends and neighbors and strangers, with hope, with love, do we fight for what is good and true and right. It is how Jesus fought, it is how we should fight. There's a war out there for our hearts, minds, and souls. Do we have what it takes to be called into the arena like Katniss to combat it?
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Day 61- an old piece of work from four years ago
thought this was too good not to pass up. this is a response to reading "lady chatterly's lover" and being fed up with alcoholic, sexual-themes-oriented writers and their influence on culture. what they write is a lie! i think is my general outcry. just some person's perspective! yet we buy into it! why?! enjoy these not at all articulate thoughts on the pervasive and wrong ideas perpetuated in culture and media.
-------------------------------------------
Nobody really tells you, but after awhile, you realize the duplicity. It’s a tad unfair and condescending: “oh you believed in that trap. You should have known better. Not our fault.”
Yes, your fault. You purposely set out to deceive. You so mired in it, that it became a sort of honesty. Smoke and mirrors of truth, tripping us all up, and leaving us hurt and confused and worse off than we started.
It’s the story of Pinnocchio. We are all being made into jacka***s. Modern culture, philosophy, literature, music, 89% of it is sh**. The 5% is earnestness, so that gets merit. The other 6%: some combination of "there is something in the smoke and mirrors that starts out as real" and "a merit of existence sometimes gives dignity." Now what I am talking about is substance. Not execution. Not skill. Not craft. Not method of expression. That is a separate category and that is of value.
I am taking fault with what we’re producing. We no closer to our noble ideals* that when we started.
I think it’s fair to say that most writers of fictions or artists of any kind, don’t know anything better than any of the rest of us. So then why do we put so much merit in the messages of what they have to say? Why do we buy their work? What in their art speaks to us? What of their work to we take in and let influence our souls? Books we read. Lyrics we sing. Movies we watch. Paintings we critique.
Art is manipulable. It can manipulate us. Which is fine. As long as we are well aware of it. And know how to use it for good and not let it defile us.
Oo. Now you should be wondering why purity is important if I just used a word like defile. And I say to you! Ah a! My life’s passion and pursuit right there! Let me explain a world view of mine! Let me extrapolate the finesse in which human nature and character must be nurtured so that it will not be destroyed nor become a destroyer!
First, to be on the same page, we must agree there is a “Problem of Evil” in the world. Or, you have to admit, there is a “Good” in the world. I am not too worried about definitions at the moment. I am more concerned that you can either know or articulate a feeling that Things are Wrong in the World. Hurt is an evil, and people hurt everywhere, and in our human natures this is a negative thing. We do not like it. We want to avoid it. ( I will not go off topic, but feel free to pause and reflect on the animal kingdom and ponder why do humans react as they do to pain and suffering and whether or not the other beasts and creatures of this earth react in the same manner).
We as humans classify things into good or bad categories. What is good for one, may not be good for another human. What is bad to one, is not bad to another. Insert examples of the rich having good that the poor does not. The healthy versus the sick. The intelligent versus the challenged academically. Some have, others do not. Thus different standards of good and bad.
But that means STANDARDS EXIST. We all have a sense of right and wrong in a situation. Doesn’t mean our sense of what is right happens or is the right one, but we do sense wrong and we do sense right.
Implying that they exist. My argument I am getting to wants to talk more about the modes of sensations or how we perceive right and wrong, and how these are distorted and messed up. And there in lies the means of manipulation in so many areas of our lives.
.... tbc
* noble ideas about undoing sexual repression i believe was what i was referencing. i am all for not being repressed, but i think what has been achieved is actually another form of sexual repression... true sexual freedom and expression can only be found in marriage, imho.
-------------------------------------------
Nobody really tells you, but after awhile, you realize the duplicity. It’s a tad unfair and condescending: “oh you believed in that trap. You should have known better. Not our fault.”
Yes, your fault. You purposely set out to deceive. You so mired in it, that it became a sort of honesty. Smoke and mirrors of truth, tripping us all up, and leaving us hurt and confused and worse off than we started.
It’s the story of Pinnocchio. We are all being made into jacka***s. Modern culture, philosophy, literature, music, 89% of it is sh**. The 5% is earnestness, so that gets merit. The other 6%: some combination of "there is something in the smoke and mirrors that starts out as real" and "a merit of existence sometimes gives dignity." Now what I am talking about is substance. Not execution. Not skill. Not craft. Not method of expression. That is a separate category and that is of value.
I am taking fault with what we’re producing. We no closer to our noble ideals* that when we started.
I think it’s fair to say that most writers of fictions or artists of any kind, don’t know anything better than any of the rest of us. So then why do we put so much merit in the messages of what they have to say? Why do we buy their work? What in their art speaks to us? What of their work to we take in and let influence our souls? Books we read. Lyrics we sing. Movies we watch. Paintings we critique.
Art is manipulable. It can manipulate us. Which is fine. As long as we are well aware of it. And know how to use it for good and not let it defile us.
Oo. Now you should be wondering why purity is important if I just used a word like defile. And I say to you! Ah a! My life’s passion and pursuit right there! Let me explain a world view of mine! Let me extrapolate the finesse in which human nature and character must be nurtured so that it will not be destroyed nor become a destroyer!
First, to be on the same page, we must agree there is a “Problem of Evil” in the world. Or, you have to admit, there is a “Good” in the world. I am not too worried about definitions at the moment. I am more concerned that you can either know or articulate a feeling that Things are Wrong in the World. Hurt is an evil, and people hurt everywhere, and in our human natures this is a negative thing. We do not like it. We want to avoid it. ( I will not go off topic, but feel free to pause and reflect on the animal kingdom and ponder why do humans react as they do to pain and suffering and whether or not the other beasts and creatures of this earth react in the same manner).
We as humans classify things into good or bad categories. What is good for one, may not be good for another human. What is bad to one, is not bad to another. Insert examples of the rich having good that the poor does not. The healthy versus the sick. The intelligent versus the challenged academically. Some have, others do not. Thus different standards of good and bad.
But that means STANDARDS EXIST. We all have a sense of right and wrong in a situation. Doesn’t mean our sense of what is right happens or is the right one, but we do sense wrong and we do sense right.
Implying that they exist. My argument I am getting to wants to talk more about the modes of sensations or how we perceive right and wrong, and how these are distorted and messed up. And there in lies the means of manipulation in so many areas of our lives.
.... tbc
* noble ideas about undoing sexual repression i believe was what i was referencing. i am all for not being repressed, but i think what has been achieved is actually another form of sexual repression... true sexual freedom and expression can only be found in marriage, imho.
Day 60- hyper spirituality
It is my belief and my modus operandi that all ideas, thoughts, works, reflections what have you are open for discourse. What that means is that I might share something, you might disagree and share something else and I don't have to agree with you but we can both discuss what we think. Hopefully, it is an edifying process where I learn more about where you are coming from, but that doesn't necessarily change what I think and vice versa. I think more discourse, maybe i should add the quantifier constructive, more constructive discourse is needed in the world. More articulation of thoughts, more critical thinking about issues and less accepting of everything at face value. Hence, why I tend to be a critic and cynic, skeptical, contrary, devil's advocate, and what have you. Because I want issues pressed further and deeper. I want to think something is well thought out and that the pluses and minuses, the pros and cons have been taken into account and thought has been given to the consequences. And in my rationale, if I offer a little resistance to an idea, if it is a solid idea, it should hold. And it goes both ways. I completely expect people to dissect what I say and offer a different point of view, a challenge if you will, so that I too am pressed as to the depthness of which I have thought about what I've said. It's some type of learning and I think there is not enough of it in the world, especially with regards to christian and american culture.
All that said, I am going to enter into critic mode and pick apart the articles on the all saints blog, because I don't necessarily disagree with them, but find it promoting hyper-spirituality that while is great for monks and ascetics, isn't as loving of your neighbor in community as I think Christians in the real world need to be. Why? Because it focuses on self over community which makes it no different from yoga, other eastern meditative practices, Buddhism, and any other religion that elevates self awareness and the mystical self to a higher level. Let me explain.
My first year of college I read "utmost for his highest' everyday as a supplement to my devotions. Boy, did I love it. I lived in the hyper spiritual cloud that gave me so much inner peace and strength and awareness of the spiritual world. I zoomed through my first year, thinking I was so close to God, doing his will, oh everything is amazing. It was a great high. And then after most of the year had passed, I realized that the cloud took me out of reality too much and that I didn't have my feet on the ground. I wasn't embedded into community or relationships as much as I wanted to be. The disconnect was the barrier of hyper spirituality, where I would turn the other cheek, not let anything bother me, and just do my own thing and follow God. While great for emotional well being, it wasn't so great at the end when I realized I wasn't in the grit and grind with everybody else, and I wanted to be. Iron sharpening iron, confronting others in love and getting to know them on a real level, learning from them and vice versa. I needed to find balance to this hyper-spiritualism I devoted myself with some concrete reality/humanity. Moderation was the key and I ditched "utmost" knowing i would be a way more effective Christian, if I wasn't a "holier than thou" sort of person. I need to be more real, more ugly, more who I was, sin and all. Not an ascetic or a mystic.
Graduating and working, only confirmed my call to be in the physical concrete present- not the mystical spiritual realm. Courageous conversations where my colleagues called me out on stuff and I in turn shared what was going on with me, grievances or otherwise were influential and productive in my life. I experienced growth and matured through those confrontations. I also, weirdly enough, felt loved, important, cared for. The power of neighborly love in oh my goodness, a secular environment more than I had ever in a Christian environment as a result of people calling me out on things. And I really believe it is because courageous conversations, courageous confrontations where you address resentments, address issues are more loving and more effective and more the gospel than turning the other cheek when living in community.
Turning the other cheek is for non equal power structures where there is a strong dominant maybe oppressive authority wronging a weaker party. When the playing ground is equal, and should be equal for most of us Americans, in our neighborhoods, communities, church, friends, family (though maybe not), then I think the answer to "Don't resent, don't react, have inner stillness" is "share issues through a somewhat confrontation, but frank and honest and courageous conversation. Give the person the opportunity to speak up for themselves and apologize. Sharpen each other like iron sharpens iron." I think that builds community and love and peace way more than this inner mantra stuff.
Granted, I've done that inner mantra stuff and strove for inner stillness and peace and self examination. Now I am onto another step of loving your neighbor: confronting them in love. I am horrible at this step and will probably not reach nirvana or a satisfactory in it anytime soon, but I know that it has power and is more healing than this eastern 'let it go' stuff.
And here is why i think courageous conversations are more godly:
1. You are holding someone accountable and that someone most likely is yourself. By stepping out and saying, hey, what you did here at this specific time, did not sit well with me and I am upset about it. Here's why I am upset:... you respect yourself, hold yourself accountable for your feelings, level the playing field, stick up for yourself, and you are giving yourself the opportunity to sharpen someone else and be sharpened in return.
2. You give the other person a chance to correct the situation, apologize, and you make them aware of their actions. I feel like most conversations- when there isn't a highly defensive person on the receiving end- go something like : "Oh wow. I am so sorry. I apologize for blank blank. I didn't realize that I did that. Thank you for letting me know, I am going to work on that" or "You know you are right. I do do that. I apologize. Please pray for me as I work on that issue."
When there is a highly defensive person on the end, you need to work them through the steps and try to get them to see the fruit of the exercise and that they actually will be a better person for it if they do it (and hopefully, will help dispel some of the fear that causes their defensiveness). If someone starts attacking you, simply stick to the goal of the conversation: "Let's talk about what you are throwing at me later when you have thought it through. Right now, I want to get to the bottom of this conflict. Repeat, I felt this when you did this and I would like you to apologize and be aware of your actions and how they come across. I am asking you to apologize and I am letting you know how I feel about the situation. If you are not at a place to hear me okay. But I need to let you know so that I don't resent you and sin. " and leave it at that (and walk away). hopefully, they will grow up and accept the consequences of their actions, but they may need some time.
3. These types of conversations breed healthy intimacy, honesty, and trust within a community. A person knows where they stand. They have been given an opportunity to level the playing field and issues are out in the open. No breeding inner resentment, because you have addressed the problem head on. There might need to be multiple conversations, bringing in more and more people, like Jesus advised (in Matthew? scripture reference not coming to mind), but you are treating people with respect and dignity and holding people accountable, especially yourself. It gives people dignity and respect because when you share with someone how they've grieved you, you are demonstrating that the relationship you have with them is important and that you are willing to step out and do what it takes to repair it. There's dignity in letting people know the consequences of their actions and giving them a chance to respond to them. It is also an act of love. I love this person enough to hold them accountable for their actions. Who knows, the awkwardness and painfulness of such an interaction is probably a deterrent enough for people to get their act together and be more aware and better behaved.
4. The inner peace stuff holds no one accountable, especially the person with the potential resentment. If an unnecessary thorn in one's side is what is required, okay maybe then it works, but for the most part, I don't think it's good to not act on resentment in a positive way. Also, it does not give people dignity or respect or even neighborly love. It is a solo act that may or may not change the actor, but has no effect on the greater community with regards to building honesty and trust. Great for the person, awful for the community who will still have all the resentment issues to work out one day later in the future... there's a crazy story in some devotional book I have about the self-sacrifice of some sister in an abbey towards another sister that drove her crazy. The book said the first woman died without that other person never knowing how crazy she drove her. It was supposed to be an example of self control, but all I thought was gosh, was it really so hard to confront that person and learn to love them truly? Was it worth holding back honest conversation, continually having to overcome inner resentfulness and becoming a martyr that actually made it seem like you mocked this person? I didn't think so and that is what those posts on "Do not resent" recall to my mind.
In conclusion, I am not against the "do not resent" stuff. There are probably many occasions when it is useful, and it is always best to see for yourself what something does. But, I think when you really want to learn how to love people, learn to have courageous conversations. And see what bridges can be built to be reconciled to your fellow man.
All that said, I am going to enter into critic mode and pick apart the articles on the all saints blog, because I don't necessarily disagree with them, but find it promoting hyper-spirituality that while is great for monks and ascetics, isn't as loving of your neighbor in community as I think Christians in the real world need to be. Why? Because it focuses on self over community which makes it no different from yoga, other eastern meditative practices, Buddhism, and any other religion that elevates self awareness and the mystical self to a higher level. Let me explain.
My first year of college I read "utmost for his highest' everyday as a supplement to my devotions. Boy, did I love it. I lived in the hyper spiritual cloud that gave me so much inner peace and strength and awareness of the spiritual world. I zoomed through my first year, thinking I was so close to God, doing his will, oh everything is amazing. It was a great high. And then after most of the year had passed, I realized that the cloud took me out of reality too much and that I didn't have my feet on the ground. I wasn't embedded into community or relationships as much as I wanted to be. The disconnect was the barrier of hyper spirituality, where I would turn the other cheek, not let anything bother me, and just do my own thing and follow God. While great for emotional well being, it wasn't so great at the end when I realized I wasn't in the grit and grind with everybody else, and I wanted to be. Iron sharpening iron, confronting others in love and getting to know them on a real level, learning from them and vice versa. I needed to find balance to this hyper-spiritualism I devoted myself with some concrete reality/humanity. Moderation was the key and I ditched "utmost" knowing i would be a way more effective Christian, if I wasn't a "holier than thou" sort of person. I need to be more real, more ugly, more who I was, sin and all. Not an ascetic or a mystic.
Graduating and working, only confirmed my call to be in the physical concrete present- not the mystical spiritual realm. Courageous conversations where my colleagues called me out on stuff and I in turn shared what was going on with me, grievances or otherwise were influential and productive in my life. I experienced growth and matured through those confrontations. I also, weirdly enough, felt loved, important, cared for. The power of neighborly love in oh my goodness, a secular environment more than I had ever in a Christian environment as a result of people calling me out on things. And I really believe it is because courageous conversations, courageous confrontations where you address resentments, address issues are more loving and more effective and more the gospel than turning the other cheek when living in community.
Turning the other cheek is for non equal power structures where there is a strong dominant maybe oppressive authority wronging a weaker party. When the playing ground is equal, and should be equal for most of us Americans, in our neighborhoods, communities, church, friends, family (though maybe not), then I think the answer to "Don't resent, don't react, have inner stillness" is "share issues through a somewhat confrontation, but frank and honest and courageous conversation. Give the person the opportunity to speak up for themselves and apologize. Sharpen each other like iron sharpens iron." I think that builds community and love and peace way more than this inner mantra stuff.
Granted, I've done that inner mantra stuff and strove for inner stillness and peace and self examination. Now I am onto another step of loving your neighbor: confronting them in love. I am horrible at this step and will probably not reach nirvana or a satisfactory in it anytime soon, but I know that it has power and is more healing than this eastern 'let it go' stuff.
And here is why i think courageous conversations are more godly:
1. You are holding someone accountable and that someone most likely is yourself. By stepping out and saying, hey, what you did here at this specific time, did not sit well with me and I am upset about it. Here's why I am upset:... you respect yourself, hold yourself accountable for your feelings, level the playing field, stick up for yourself, and you are giving yourself the opportunity to sharpen someone else and be sharpened in return.
2. You give the other person a chance to correct the situation, apologize, and you make them aware of their actions. I feel like most conversations- when there isn't a highly defensive person on the receiving end- go something like : "Oh wow. I am so sorry. I apologize for blank blank. I didn't realize that I did that. Thank you for letting me know, I am going to work on that" or "You know you are right. I do do that. I apologize. Please pray for me as I work on that issue."
When there is a highly defensive person on the end, you need to work them through the steps and try to get them to see the fruit of the exercise and that they actually will be a better person for it if they do it (and hopefully, will help dispel some of the fear that causes their defensiveness). If someone starts attacking you, simply stick to the goal of the conversation: "Let's talk about what you are throwing at me later when you have thought it through. Right now, I want to get to the bottom of this conflict. Repeat, I felt this when you did this and I would like you to apologize and be aware of your actions and how they come across. I am asking you to apologize and I am letting you know how I feel about the situation. If you are not at a place to hear me okay. But I need to let you know so that I don't resent you and sin. " and leave it at that (and walk away). hopefully, they will grow up and accept the consequences of their actions, but they may need some time.
3. These types of conversations breed healthy intimacy, honesty, and trust within a community. A person knows where they stand. They have been given an opportunity to level the playing field and issues are out in the open. No breeding inner resentment, because you have addressed the problem head on. There might need to be multiple conversations, bringing in more and more people, like Jesus advised (in Matthew? scripture reference not coming to mind), but you are treating people with respect and dignity and holding people accountable, especially yourself. It gives people dignity and respect because when you share with someone how they've grieved you, you are demonstrating that the relationship you have with them is important and that you are willing to step out and do what it takes to repair it. There's dignity in letting people know the consequences of their actions and giving them a chance to respond to them. It is also an act of love. I love this person enough to hold them accountable for their actions. Who knows, the awkwardness and painfulness of such an interaction is probably a deterrent enough for people to get their act together and be more aware and better behaved.
4. The inner peace stuff holds no one accountable, especially the person with the potential resentment. If an unnecessary thorn in one's side is what is required, okay maybe then it works, but for the most part, I don't think it's good to not act on resentment in a positive way. Also, it does not give people dignity or respect or even neighborly love. It is a solo act that may or may not change the actor, but has no effect on the greater community with regards to building honesty and trust. Great for the person, awful for the community who will still have all the resentment issues to work out one day later in the future... there's a crazy story in some devotional book I have about the self-sacrifice of some sister in an abbey towards another sister that drove her crazy. The book said the first woman died without that other person never knowing how crazy she drove her. It was supposed to be an example of self control, but all I thought was gosh, was it really so hard to confront that person and learn to love them truly? Was it worth holding back honest conversation, continually having to overcome inner resentfulness and becoming a martyr that actually made it seem like you mocked this person? I didn't think so and that is what those posts on "Do not resent" recall to my mind.
In conclusion, I am not against the "do not resent" stuff. There are probably many occasions when it is useful, and it is always best to see for yourself what something does. But, I think when you really want to learn how to love people, learn to have courageous conversations. And see what bridges can be built to be reconciled to your fellow man.
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