Preparing the Jordan

“Too many people spend too much time trying to perfect something before they actually do it. Instead of waiting for perfection, run with what you’ve got and fix it as you go”… Paul Arden

This is my New Year’s resolution for 2008. Quit using the expectation of perfection to prevent me from experiencing anything or anyone (including myself).

Peace and Love
Keren

Anyone give a llama for Christmas?

More delight and wisdom from the late Grandpa Caleb...

Peace on Earth

This is for everyone, but especially for my brother and my sister, and all of us who were teenagers in the 70's.

Peace and Love
Kembo

Love people even in...

"Love people even in their sin, for that is the semblance of Divine Love and is the highest love on earth. Love all of God's creation, the whole and every grain of sand of it. Love every leaf, every ray of God's light. Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better every day. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an all-embracing love."

- Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

(photo by {Blue})

For your listening pleasure...

Songwriter Todd Baio was inspired by reading some of the works of Bill Dahl, Jim Palmer and Wayne Jacobsen, and composed this song, "Mr. Nobody", which he graciously allowed me to post here. (Thank you, Todd!) Let me know if you end up listening to this many times in a row as I have, and feel the same joy as I do!

Another nobody amazed by the gift of Love

You Are Love

It's one thing to know that God loves you by pointing at certain Bible verses. John 3:16, Romans 11:36, Romans 5:6-10, and so on. It's relatively simple to say, Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.

It's something else to feel that love. To know it in your heart, your marrow, the core of your being. It's nothing you can force or manipulate.

Where does love come from? Maybe it's always there, but sometimes just buried beneath layers of stuff -- experiences telling us we're not worthy, feelings of rejection, abuse and violence, fear. Another huge factor for many people is the message they have received that suggests God really loves only a select few. After years f having that pounded into your head and after millennia of collective indoctrination of that message, it is very difficult to think and feel differently.

Yet, I', convinced that ultimately nothing can separate us from the love of God. The reason? God is with us, so love is with us. Gd is love and God is fully integrated with humanity from the least of us to the greatest. We can't escape love because we are love -- formed and fashioned in love. Attempting to express love. Longing to feel and give love.

It may be misplaced often. We may not always see it. However, it is there. We can and we will, eventually, find it becuase we can't get away from who we are.

Loving Babies

Sometimes, it's hard to remember that love never fails. However, today I've seen no less than 5 babies less than a year old. They're giggly, bright-eyed, and spontaneous. They are doing nothing but being themselves. Whenever a baby enters the room, everything softens. Everything lights up. Love becomes apparent every time. It just never fails.

Love as Choice

In his book Return from Tomorrow, George Ritchie talks about meeting a man who'd been a prisoner in the concentration camp where Ritchie was sent as a soldier right at the end of WWII. He talks about the amazing compassion "Wild Bill" had for all his fellow prisoners and how he was regarded as a friend to all. Wild Bill even counseled others to forgive the Germans for the atrocities they'd been through, and said this:

"We lived in the Jewish section of Warsaw. My wife, our two daughters, and our three little boys. When the Germans reached our street they lined everyone up against a wall and opened up with machine guns. I begged to be allowed to die with my family, but because I spoke German they put me in a work group. I had to decide right then whether to let myself hate the soldiers who had done this. It was an easy decision really. I was a lawyer. In my practice I had seen too often what hate could do to people's minds and bodies. Hate had just killed the six people who mattered most to me in the world. I decided then that I would spend the rest of my life - whether it was a few days or many years - loving every person I came in contact with."

Ritchie continues: "Loving every person...this was the power that had kept a man well in the face of every privation. It was the Power I had first met in a hospital room (during a Near Death Experience) in Texas, and was learning little by little to recognize wherever He chose to shine through - whether the human vehicle was aware of Him or not."

Here's to Love - to the will to love, to the choice of love, to our hearts opening wide and spilling out love during the moments of our lives. May the story of Wild Bill be another way God uses to point me to his Truth.

A TLIO Quote

Prayer is an act of love, words are not needed. Even if sickness distracts thoughts, all that is needed is the will to love.

St. Teresa of Avila
The Way of Perfection

Le Getting There is Half Le Fun

....un pew diversion...

Joy - Expect the Unexpected

This is sort of an addendum to this post. I re-read it and decided it sounds a little cranky, but it is not intended that way.

*********

The season of advent is about paying attention, being aware, being expectant, preparing for the coming of the savior, the second coming of Christ, etc.

I totally believe in the blessing of centering prayer and reflecting on experience and I practice these myself in groups and alone.

There is a time and a place for everything. However...Interruptions may not be desired but be aware and awake that the greater cause of the interupption may be calling you to a new and wonderful place....or maybe it is just some happy loud-mouth, but you might make a new friend! Here is the original post.

**********

Have you ever felt really good, full of joy, exuberant even, for absolutely no reason at all?

Have you ever been told "shhhhhh" while you are feeling this way?

Have you ever had this feeling of exuberance and inadvertently brought yourself and your joy into a room where people are are quietly and reverently discussing our journey toward God?

"Sssshhhhhhhh, we are reflecting!" aka "Silence your joy so we can try to use silence to find ours".....huh?

I think children get rebuked this way often. Nothing wrong with silent reflection and I encourage it, but joy and exuberance need to be recognised too.

Today begins the season of Advent. Wake up, look around..something wonderful is coming. It can happen!

Peace and Joy and Love
Keren

Wide Open (and really small) Spaces

Okay, I'm sneaking Jim's video on here where he talks about his almost-released new book, "Wide Open Spaces - Beyond Paint-By-Number Christianity". Jim probably would think it was self-serving to put this on our blog...but I can! Anyway, for those of you who haven't met Jim in person, this is the next best thing. Well, last night's web cast with Jim on www.shapevine.com was an excellent way to meet him too. And a lot of fun. But if you missed it - meet Jim in a drainage pipe...

Rethinking Love

hey, RELEVANT posted an excerpt of Wide Open Spaces on their site. if you're interested click the upper left hand box that says, "Rethinking Love." if you can't figure it out, the link takes you here. i figured i'd post this on the TLIO blog today.

also, stop in and say hi on the shapevine.com webcast interview tonight at 8:00 EST.

-nobody jim

(photo by Rachel Lane Photography)

A Big Steaming Cup of Heaven

I love the little diner I go to once or twice a week on my lunch hour. I love the marbled oilcloth tablecloth, the heavy white porcelain coffee cup with the little round paper coaster under it, the thermos pot of coffee they leave with a dish of creamers. I love my alone time there. I love reading there. And mostly, for some reason, I love that it's filled with blue collar folk. Today I overheard the man next to me talk about hunting and how the deer aren't running, and how he sliced open his hand when he was out in the field and superglued his cut together, and it made me smile. I feel safe in the diner. Safe to be myself, safe that it doesn't matter what I look like or what I wear, safe and full of love for the waitresses in their matching tops, the factory workers in their overalls.

My son told me the other day that he's sure heaven is a jazz club at night in a big city. I plan on visiting him there. Sometimes the most ordinary places bring heaven crashing into earth, I think. Mine is a little mom-and-pop diner where the waitresses wear nametags and call me sweetheart.

Oneness

One, oneness, one body, non-duality, may they be one as we are one, one with all things, one with God, one with each other, one with nature, one with the universe, awakening to oneness, one . . .

God, what is this oneness thing? Does it mean we all think the same? Vote the same? Look the same? What does it mean? How do we know if we have it or know it or do it?

When the circle of Godś loving becoming unselfish living giving freshly flows through our hearts lovingly unselfishly living giving working gratefully treasuring blessing lifting others who soak up Godś loving transforming them as unselfish living lifting souls who freely give love living with no thought to self . . . blurring where one ends and another begins . . .

Then we are one.

Holy Moments

I printed out an article the other night about motivation, self-discipline and perseverance and asked my son to read it. I thought it would inspire him, and he said, "Well, it kind of depresses me". Sometimes we mothers just don't get it right, you know? Instead of filling Carman with confidence and energy, it made him doubt his abilities and whether he had the focus to succeed in a career that he knows is highly competitive. We talked for awhile about his love of filmmaking, and he told me how he can't imagine doing anything else in life. Carman said, What if I don't make any money at it, though? I said if you're doing what you love, then you've succeeded. Still, despite my reassurances, he seemed unsettled and unsure. He was just getting ready to leave on an errand, and I saw the stress still furrowing his brow.

And then these words spilled strongly out of me - "Carman. I believe in you." And as I said them, I felt the power of them rise up in me. A power of Love filled with truth and faith, the power of words spoken purely from my soul. My son stopped midstep, removed his glasses and wiped his eyes. He felt it. I felt it. Love, faith, unquestioning belief. Everyone in the world should have a mother or father who says one time, "I believe in you. From the very depths of my being, I believe in you."

Signs of Life

Yesterday, we went for a family outing to Mueller State Park. It is west of Colorado Springs, on the west side of Pikes Peak. By now, all of the aspens had lost their leaves, but the park had a unique beauty to it. The evergreens, the dried grass, the crunching leaves underfoot. It was a beautiful day, temperatures in the high 50s, sunny, and blue skies.

We have three young children, so they come to the world with a perspective all their own. As we hiked several trails, they noticed all of the animal scat along the trails. No, we're not talking about jazz here. We're talking excrement -- aka "poop." The park has a display with model poop so you can identify which pile belongs to which animal -- elk, bear, mountain lion, coyote.

You might think this is a little weird, but, you might want to know if a bear or mountain lion could be nearby.

After a while, it became quite the adventure. Lots of laughs noticing the signs of life left along the trail. And maybe that's one of the most unappreciated blessings. Nothing is ever wasted. Even what we leave behind is a sign of life that can bring laughs and joy to others.


PS: In case you're wondering, we saw more signs of elk life than any other animal. The picture is one we took on our hike. You can see Pikes Peak (or Sun Mountain as the Ute tribe called it), and in the foreground is a place called Elk Meadow. And as of tonight, the whole park is forecast to be snow-covered.

Tarot Cards and Hula Hoops

Do something different; trying new, playful things to get out of a rut; or a little change can set you free.

Tarot cards: Him and I love to shop at HalfPrice Books. On the last few trips I have picked up a book on Tarot and immediately put it back down. Subsequently, I read a book by Thomas Moore “Dark Night of the Soul” which really spoke to me, I highly recommend it to people experiencing interior or exterior difficulties or feel they are in a dark place. In that book, though not as a recommendation, Moore mentions having a deck of Tarot cards. So the next time we go to the store, the Tarot book is still there, I buy it and a box of cards, now I am hooked. I even read my hairstylist’s cards. She is going to grow in financial security! :o)

I don’t believe there is any magic in it. Similar to dream interpretation, the symbols on the cards spark a recognition in our subconscious which we respond to. Our subconscious, perhaps, is more closely attuned to our soul. Our subconscious, perhaps, has a deeper knowledge of our experiences, past present and maybe future. Who knows? Please tell me if I am wrong. Maybe I need to ask a priest about it, is this something I need to go to confession over? I do say an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be as I shuffle the cards….

Hula Hoops: I have been in a non-exercise rut. My Doctor kindly suggests I need to get out of it. A girlfriend, age 54, told me about hula hoops. Not the lightweight plastic kid kind which are actually difficult for an adult to use. There are adult sized hoops, average 36” diameter, that are heavier, but easier to use. I can’t explain the physics. After two days of trying, I finally got the hang of it and I love it. It is like dancing/ playing for exercise – once you pick it up it is hard to put down. Don’t worry about looking silly – you will but who cares, and if I can do it, anyone can!

You can buy them too, but My Him made me two of them. Here is a link how. http://www.jasonunbound.com/hoops.html

Now there is a little strangeness for you this Sunday morning. :o)

Peace Keren

Dear Jim,

(i blogged the below post this morning, and couldn't resist also including it here as it seemed to capture the TLIO spirit)

this morning i received the below email. both the email and the video (see link) deeply impacted me. the greatest benefit for me in writing books and having a blog is that it allows me to cross paths with so many people who enrich my life and journey. most of the time you are the teacher and i am the student. here's the letter and link…

"you have been real to me, brother - i can't say how many times - in both reading d.n. and reading your blog.

i'm a sales manager and one of my sales guys emailed me this link - the story is great - to think that in my every interactions with customers and all people, i can somehow touch their lives in a deep way. here's the link if you want to check it out - the note in the bag, on the one of the last slides says… "it's not how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do."

i've always been a big 'doer', especially in church stuff. i grew up in church, and it was the biggest thing in my life - i even left a church to start an emergent church - but the more i did, the more empty i became. it was just a constant doing…we've left the church now, and are finding our way beyond… into the wide open spaces. i'm now seeing how God is all around and speaks in so many ways - this video, and my sales guy sending it to me is proof to that.

thanks man, for the love you put into what you do - it hit me deep.

peace"

(photo by codybaldwin)

Love Sinking, Love Rising

Honestly, Love has been a bit elusive lately. Well, maybe more so after last night when I asked a question I was reflecting on about whether I need to forgive someone if they have no remorse, and I was instantly jumped on by a few people in the group I was in, and felt that punched-in-the-stomach kind of feeling. So much for musing out loud. Then I started thinking about this blog, and how I should be writing about Love, and how I was feeling decidedly distant from that big, grand, awe-inspiring, soul-filling, life-shattering kind of Love. Ahhh. But then I found out that Jim Palmer had an excerpt from his upcoming book on Relevant Magazine's web site, and I read these words of his:

"There is a sizable gap between the number of knowledgeable Christians and the number of Christians who express the reality of God. Why is that? Really, why is that? I wonder if it’s because we too often take someone else’s word for it, rather than experiencing for ourselves God’s Spirit confirming Truth within us. Maybe that’s the difference between knowledge and knowing. We acquire knowledge by absorbing teachings others show us, but knowing occurs when the life of God within you reveals a truth and your spirit says, “I know that I know.”

Suddenly I feel a deep peace settle in. Just reading, "The life of God within", brought joy and love bubbling back up to the surface of my spirit. Providential, blessed, sacred timing. Divine encounters step in right when I need them most.

Photo by Bill Dahl

Friends

“Each of us has contact with hundreds of people who never look beyond our surface appearance. We have dealings with hundreds of people who the moment they set eyes on us begin calculating what use we can be to them, what they can get out of us. We meet hundreds of people who take one look at us, make a snap judgment, and then slot us into a category so that they wont have to deal with us as persons. They treat us as something less than we are and if we are in constant association with them, we become less.”

“And then someone enters our life who isn’t looking for someone to use, is leisurely enough to find out what is really going on in us, is secure enough not to exploit our weaknesses or attack our strengths, recognizes our inner life and understands the difficulty of living out our inner convictions, confirms what is deepest within us. A friend.”

Eugene H. Peterson “Leap Over a Wall”

This is from a book about a divine nobody, David (of David and Goliath fame).

To me like anything else, all relationships grow and change and ebb and glow. Our souls always recognize the friends God places in our lives.

Peace and Love
Keren

Photo by Darla Winn

Otherlyness

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a conference called Off the Map Live, put on by an organization called, well, Off the Map.

Off the Map promotes something they call "otherlyness"... or the spirituality of serving. Their goal is to teach Christians to serve others without agenda and with compassion, making evangelism more about relationship and less about conversion, and providing a platform for "idea explorers"...those who think outside the box of "normal" Christianity.

This is a conference like none other I have been to; it entertains a wide spectrum of theology and ministry, rather than being tuned in to one particular genre of Christianity. I don't want to try to recap it here, but I did want to share one thing I learned; or rather, something I already knew which was affirmed in many ways.

Christianity is about others, all others. It's about relationships and Love. It's in the sharing of our hearts and dreams with others, and listening to their hearts and dreams where we really can grow to follow Christ. Christianity is known for being "closed"; not wanting to hear from those who are different. However, I have found it is in relating to an atheist or a Pagan or a Muslim that I truly learn the depth of Jesus' unconditional and all-encompassing Love for people.

In the past I have been taught to be suspicious of those who believe differently from I; Off the Map is a Christian organization which, while it doesn't embrace the beliefs of others, it truly does embrace the others. I have learned from them that it is not only acceptable, but valuable, to embrace in Love those who hold vastly different beliefs than I do. There is something we have missed in the past by being unwilling to hear and connect with people who don't fit into our neat little Christian box. I have found these "others" to be some of the most interesting and inspiring people I know. When I am respectful of their beliefs, looking for the practical commonalities (such as caring for the poor), rather than theological or religious differences, something amazing happens.

I, for one, wish to practice Love for others, or "otherlyness" consciously in my life. I eagerly anticipate what I might learn from those who don't necessarily follow Christ, by engaging with the "other", valuing them as people and as friends, rather than as potential Christians.

Longing for the Rhythm

Boom chick a boom chick
Ba da da ba da da ba da da ba da da
Whooooooo-ah who-ahh
Mo-mahh mo-mahhhhhhh

Loving flowing working savoring
Worshiping grateful serving faithful
Living giving heart forgiving
Loving resting praying waiting
Ba da da ba da da ba da da ba da da
Who who-ahhhhhhhhh
Who who-ahhhhhhhhh

Photo by Ian Britton, freefoto.com

Soularize (TLIO thoughts)

i returned from the week-long soularize experience in the bahamas, and wanted to share a few thoughts. it will take a while to truly unpack it all. in many respects, what occurred during the week was a affirmation and confirmation of various things that have been stewing or unfolding and evolving inside of me. this was helpful as i at times tend to be a self-doubting sort of person. brennan manning's main message was that people suffer because they are divided people, lost from the truth of their real identity as the beloved. when those of us who know who we are allow Love to flow through us to others, even in the simplest ways, we are helping stimulate the awakening in others. as i listened to brennan, the "turn love inside out" mentality grew in significance, and i am more convinced than ever of the power of love.

father richard rohr presented a talk on "stages of consciousness," which i greatly appreciated. i hope to track it down somewhere and link it so others can see it. in the six levels, number 5 is "wisdom" and reads...

"Your mind is now your servant. All previous stages are included, honored, and used effectively, but you transcend them to non dual thinking as such. You no longer know reality merely by comparison, competition, analysis, judgment, or critique. You no longer divide the field. No need to hate, exclude, deny, expel, or eliminate things, or overly attach to passing things. You are now patient with paradox and mystery, and can live with contradictions in yourself and others. The contemplative mind. Can care rightly because you have learned how not to care also."

one interesting thing also is that even though all these "stages of consciousness" were presented and explained, i had never been exposed to them in such fashion. and yet, i discovered my journey has involved passing through many of them. in other words, having the information itself is not necessary for one to grow through these stages. it doesn't have to be laid out in any sort of theological/intellectual format in order for people to get it. a farmer, truck driver, or waffle house waitress could just has easily grown into "level six" without such information. richard rohr pointed out more than once that suffering is often catalyst for growth.

that's all for now.

(photo by dan gilliam)

God bless you!

God bless Mommy,

God bless Daddy,

God bless Grandma and Grandpa,

God bless my brothers and sisters . . . and Rover . . . . and all my friends at school!

I have viewed this as a trite child´s prayer, but now I wonder if is isn´t the most powerful prayer of all. It is a prayer of love, a prayer for peace, a prayer for Godś will, God´s grace, God´s forgiveness. It is Godś love flowing through us, sent swiftly to others.

What would happen if we prayed these prayers of blessing to others at every opportunity during the day? We could start by focusing on our immediate family members, and then branching out to others around us. And we would never stop. We would just keep praying in our hearts, ¨God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, God bless you . . . ¨

Lunch Hour

I was going to go to the bank and run other errands when my son called me at work and informed me that he had just locked his keys in his car. At first I felt irritated - driving 20 minutes to unlock a car, and 20 minutes back to work wasn't what I felt like doing during my break. And then I let it go. Accidents happen. I was grateful my irritation was so brief and fleeting.

When I made it up to the parking lot where my son's car sat parked, there was my son and a couple of his buddies, all of them in high spirits and full of energy, excitedly discussing the impending Guitar Hero III video game release. They were nice, polite, my son thanked me profusely, and I got back into my car to leave. And then I soaked in the moment in my rear view mirror. There stood a group of teenage boys talking and laughing on a beautiful Autumn day. How quickly these years fly by. How lovely to see them all so carefree. How glad I am that I could see the pricelessness in my brief encounter with joy in the form of teenage boys, feel filled with nostalgia for that moment in time, and see it all in love instead of thwarted lunch hour plans.

Forgive -- Or Else?

I've been thinking a lot about forgiveness. Deep down, I truly believe that God has forgiven all. I can accept this after years of believing that God has forgiven almost nothing and no one. The forgiveness of God is more for our sakes than God's -- as I see it. I don;t thank that we can't really offend God. Maybe that's offensive in light of all of the human atrocities we inflict upon one another.

Yet, I find it easier to accept God's forgiveness than to forgive. Just like I find it easier to accept that God love me and all than for me to love God by loving others.

Maybe I'm just rambling at this point, but forgiveness is hard business -- especially when that business is self forgiveness. How can we forgive others if we can't forgive ourselves? And I know all of the advice. Holding a grudge (even against yourself) only hurts you. Free yourself and forgive. That's fine and dandy, but the question for me is how?

I love the theory of forgiveness, but the practice is quite another matter.

prayer

I am trying to figure this out. Please write and tell me what you think.

Recently I have been reading a book titled, Awakening Into Oneness by Arjuna Ardagh. It is about people in India who are praying. They are praying constantly. They call it the Oneness Blessing, but it is actually the same as what Jesus taught us in the Lordś Prayer. The people in the book are letting God´s love flow through them in prayer to others. People are being transformed by the Oneness Blessing.

I really believe that Jesus was trying to teach us to do that . . . to pray powerful love prayers for each other.

The book says that in India, people receive the Oneness Blessing prayers for 21 days before they give it to others. I did not understand why at first. Now I believe that 21 days of experiencing prayer gives you strong faith to offer the prayer to others.

Please comment with your ideas! :)

The Hound of Heaven

"I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat -- and a voice beat
More instant than the Feet --
"All things betray thee, who betrayest Me."
By Francis Thompson

Does God/Love pursue us? This is something that I feel. I blogged here on it once "who is pursuing who" back in August.

The odd thing to me is that even as I get closer and closer to Him, and my understanding of our relationship, I then begin to feel the vista somehow changes. I'm suddenly again in new and unfamiliar territory, and I'm not sure about it. He starts pursuing me further into the depths of my experiences and my heart and soul.

Here is a link to the entire poem. http://www.mcs.drexel.edu/~gbrandal/Illum_html/hound.html

Have a wonderful day.
Peace and Love
Keren


http://www.mcs.drexel.edu/~gbrandal/Illum_html/hound.html

Next-Wave Interview (Wide Open Spaces & TLIO)

here’s the interview if you’re interested. you'll see the conversation about Turn Love Inside out.

i’m headed to the bahamas for soularize; i’ll be back in nashvegas on october 31. yes, that’s halloween. scary!

(photo by zoo gal)

The Greatest

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love."

You know these words written by Paul so long ago. Even if you've never read 1Corinthians 13, you've been to a wedding. And I think it is a legal obligation that 1Corinthians 13 is read at every wedding.

Anyway...it's odd (at least curious) to me how backwards I've practiced this sacred triumvirate. Faith has often come first. Have faith. Just believe. Believe in Jesus. Believe in God. Believe the Bible. Justification by faith. Salvation by faith. Faith alone. Believe the gospel and you'll be saved.

Then, for me, hope has played a big part. Looking forward to the time when God will sort everything out (like things aren't sorted properly now). Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Thy kingdom come. I hope that they will accept Jesus.

Love has often taken the back seat to both of these. I'll love you if you have faith (the "right" faith at that). If you share my hope, then I'll love. Love just gets in the way of getting people to have faith in the right hope.

At least that's been my experience for a large portion of my life. Yours might be different. It's not to say that I didn't consider my faith and hope motivated by love. I did. But looking back, I can see that love never really entered the picture. Maybe a little, but not much. The greatest of these three was always faith...with a capital F.

That's what I preached from pulpits every week for nearly 2 decades. "Come forward and confess your faith." Never once did I invite anyone to come forward to show their love.

Now, after a long time and a lot of personal anguish, I can see how Love trumps faith and hope. It's not that faith and hope are insignificant. It's like ice cream. Strawberry and vanilla are great, but nothing beats chocolate!

But even now, I can take it one more step. As great as Love is when we love, how much greater is God's Love! The God who is Love. The God who is Love triumphs over our faithlessness, faithfulness, hopelessness, hopefulness, lovelessness, and love; because the greatest is Love.

Take Me With You Everywhere You Go

(Love/God speaking to us....)

Don't go anywhere without me. Let nothing happen in the sky apart from me, or on the ground, in this world or that world,without my being in its happening. Vision, see nothing I don't see. Language, say nothing. The way the night knows itself with the moon, be that with me. Be the rose nearest to the thorn that I am.

I want to feel myself in you when you taste food, in the arc of your mallet when you work, when you visit friends, when you go up on the roof by yourself at night.

(rumi/us to Love/God)

There's nothing worse than to walk out along the street without you. I don't know where I'm going. You're the road, and the knower of roads, more than maps, more than love.

******
"The Essential Rumi" Coleman Barks
******

I love me some Rumi!
(notes in pink and emphasis in turquoise by Keren)

once there was a man

a man once approached Jesus and said to him, “Sir, you have quite a reputation as a man who knows God and eternal things. So, tell me what must I do to get eternal life? I have all the world can offer now, but surely I will someday die, and I must be assured that a glorious afterlife is certain.”

Jesus responds to the man, and right off you discover Jesus has shifted the focus of the issue. the man is concerned about “getting eternal life” (read “heaven”); the man wants to cinch up his afterlife. Jesus, however, shifts the conversation to “life” - Jesus begins, “If you want to enter life…” in this subtlety, Jesus wants the man to see he is focused on the wrong end game. the man thinks it’s all about the security of heaven after you die; Jesus is wanting to invite the man into the present reality of “life,” which is more than human existence, but living in the present reality of God’s kingdom - a kingdom, according to Jesus, which is within us and the source of life (read peace, love, joy, freedom, and contentment). in the gospel of John, Jesus defines “eternal life” as “knowing God.” in other words it is a now reality.

the man is proud of his religiosity and is operating under the assumption that whatever God has to offer it can be attained through religious duty - being good, doing church, keeping a list of do’s and dont’s, observing the law, ordering your life around religious rule and ritual. Jesus goes with the man down this path of logic, and acknowledges his life of religious duty and discipline. Jesus isn’t busting on him; he is giving credit where credit is due; the man has worked very hard at what he has understood God expected of him.

in the process, the man comes to a place of profound self-realization. he says to Jesus, “What do I still lack?” despite his religious commitments, the man feels deep within himself that something is amiss. looking at him on the outside, he is living an impressive religious life that probably few can match. he is also a wealthy man, and so he is living a life of material security and abundance, and yet he feels a deep lack within him. he is now experiencing the “life” Jesus refers to earlier, and the pain is painfully aware of this emptiness within him.

so, Jesus tells the man that the answer to his lack is to sell all his possessions and give them to the poor. we would be mistaken in thinking that this is primarily a scripture about sacrificing for the poor or a call to social justice or a condemnation of material wealth. Jesus wants the man to experience the present reality of the kingdom of God (life), but what is standing in the man’s way is his misplaced dependencies. the man has depended on his material wealth as the source of his security, identity, and happiness. he has depended on his wealth and what it can do, as his source of life and wellbeing. but Jesus knows, just like the man’s religiosity, so also his misplaced dependency won’t work for the man.

so, Jesus invites the man to let go of his misplaced dependency so he can in fact experience life in God’s kingdom. some people thing they must wait until death in order to experience the fullness of life in God. others think they must separate from society and enter a life of blissful contemplation to experience any inkling of it. Jesus is essentially telling the man that the life of the kingdom is within the man, and the man can choose to let go of his misplaced dependency and instead depend upon the source of “life” (peace, contentment, joy, love, freedom) within him.

the man chose not to let go of his dependency. why? fear. it’s not that he “had” wealth and all that wealth brings. in his mind, the man was his wealth and all that wealth brings. like a;; misplaced dependencies, letting go of them is like dying to your self; as if there might not be any self at all if you let it go.

maybe this false self of misplaced dependencies must fall to the ground and die, so that the abundance of life in the kingdom can be experienced. we die in our old world, and our raised up in a new world of “life.” maybe this is the choice in every moment of our lives, which can be made regardless of our circumstances; a choice that allows us to walk in the present reality of God’s kingdom, which is not dependent upon any set of human circumstances.

(photo by annieA)

St Francis revisited

I was going back through some old blogs and discovered a comment on the St. Francis Feast Day Blog I didnt realize was there. It was interesting and beautiful. Change's comments were beautiful and made me realize there is alot more to St. Francis than loving animals, calling things brother and renouncing things of this world - which are wonderful things, but Francis's Love went much deeper than that.

Change gave us a link, below, to a wonderful art exhibit by Darren Waterston and Tyrus Miller, that was based somewhat on St. Francis.

If you look at the link, read the comments by the reviewer about the compassion of St Francis. Not something all of us are willing to embrace.

"...Saint Francis found the divine through the body. He did not find it by looking at the ideal beauty of the ancient Greeks but in the wounds of the lepers and the homeless that surrounded his home in Assisi. He embraced things that we would normally turn away from like the bleeding sores of those who are sick. He resisted the temptation to run away, transcended his natural feelings of self preservation, and cultivated compassion to discover the divine through the path of caring for those around us"

http://www.portlandart.net/archives/2007/09/darren_watersto_1.html

Thanks Change
Peace
Keren

The more I love

Next weekend a group of middle-school aged kids will be building a cardboard city and staying there overnight. I'll be stopping down with whatever donations I can contribute to their goal on giving warm clothing and items to a local mission. The mission's thrift store burned just recently, so they're in dire need of many things.

I'm also going to be involved in a mission to "spend less, love all" this December. We're going to try and not get sucked into the consumeristic holiday culture and instead create relational gifts, (poetry, photography, a trip to a ball game), and use the money we don't spend to help bring clean water to people in Africa. The joy that I've been feeling about being involved in reaching out to my neighbors has been showing me that the more I love, the more I love.

A Welcoming Place

Yesterday, a good friend told me, "Knowing that God is all-in-all makes the universe a welcoming place, not a frightening one."

I like that.

Not my will but Your will

In an earlier post, I told you about how I discovered that I was afraid of God´s will. I think that somewhere in my childhood I was led to believe that God would make me do things I did not want to do.

[For example: God would make me marry the boy who picked his nose - yikes! ]

This is how God answered my fears . . .

God said, ¨you are safe in my will.¨

Surrounded by safety, God has given me the ability to say, ¨not my will but Your will be done.¨

I am safe.

No Recall

Pardon me for going theological this morning. But I was reading in Romans this morning and 11:28-29 captured my attention.

"As regards the gospel they are enemies of God^* for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."

I know this has a context and specific setting, but it seems like an eternal truth about God's love is lodged in these words. These "enemies of the gospel" were not excluded from the love of God. Even though they were "enemies" God continued to love them. They were beloved -- not for what they had done or failed to do. But God loved them for the sake of His promise.

God's overflows from God. It is not a reward for our obedience or disobedience to anything. Humanity is beloved -- and always will be -- because God's love is irrevocable.

If you start feeling bad about yourself or judgmental toward others, just remember this. God can't not love you. Unlike certain brands of toys with lead paint, God's love will never be recalled.

Love each fragment

Love all that has been created by God, both the whole and every grain of sand. Love every leaf and every ray of light. Love the beasts and the birds, love the plants, love every separate fragment. If you love each separate fragment, you will understand the mystery of the whole resting in God.

~Fyodor Dostoevsky

Photo credit: Ed Roth, Kalamazoo

love changes us

Graceful Gratitude

I've been thinking a lot about gratitude lately, and after reading Keren's most recent post it came to mind again.

Grateful. Graceful. Full of grace. I wonder, sometimes, how grateful God is. Maybe God is gratefulness becuase God is graceful, full of grace.

It's almost too much to imagine...God being grateful. God saying "thank you." Not that God needs to be grateful or owes us any word of thanks. It's just that God's overflow of grace (it seems to me) would abound with gratitude for our companionship, our friendship, our love. And just maybe God's gratitude is expressed through us as we express our gratitude gracefully.

It’s not how much you’ve got but what is done with what you have

Love Reflections on Luke 17:5-10

Consider this… Our God (who is Love) is a servant God, an exceptional Aide. What if the message is to expect more from our servant, more than status quo - be assured that God/Love can and wants to do more for us than just the minimum. That is called faith.

Faith starts with an expectation of more than the ordinary. Faith is a seminal force – an atom – a seed that when expressed to its potential, can break through to the power of God/Love inside us. Faith can take us places we have never been. The power of God to truly comfort, heal, support, and motivate us to withstand all sorts of difficulties, through and past the mundane to the extraordinary.

Imagine how much gratitude we would express to God if we really let Him do His thing in us.


Peace and Love
Keren

Saint Francis of Assisi

"Most high, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart. Instill in me a correct faith, a certain hope and a perfect love; a sense and a knowledge, Lord, so that I may do your holy and true command." A Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Tomorrow, October 4th is the Feast Day of St. Francis. You will probably see a lot about him on the internet, and you may know all of this anyway. I just wanted to give him a little Love from the TLIO site also. St. Francis was joyfully in Love with God and all of God’s Creation. He embraced the connection and communion of all Creation and called everything in Creation (from people, birds, animals, the Sun, even Death) his Brother or Sister. He chose to live in poverty and purity; he gave assistance to the poor and sick; and basically lived in imitation of Jesus.

He is the patron saint of animals and animal welfare organizations among other things. Many churches have Blessing of Pets on October 4th or the closest Sunday to the 4th. Bailey and Loretta (a couple of nobody-cats who live with us) would have to go to work with me first to be able to go be blessed at my church tomorrow evening – not going to happen. I’ll have to bring some holy water home for them. Him and I get so much love and laughter from these two, they are blessings to us every day of the year.

People of the Love

As the day fades, I contemplate
the feeling of together I have found here.
No longer struggling to walk alone.
Maybe your hand will help me stand again,
maybe my shoulder will dry your eyes.
A friend I found, an arm to lean on
a heart of understanding and encouragement.
Once I felt as a stranger in a land which was not my home
a place where I followed strange rules meant to exclude.
Then one day I looked out a window, set foot out a door, mesmerized.
I saw another world existing outside the walls,
out among the people.
At first I was alone, then one stepped up, and two and more...
Now we stand side by side to face this future,
seeking a Place of Love long lost in history,
taking steps to move forward and beyond, embracing the other.
Some days that which we left behind will be hard to bear,
other days we will rejoice.
There is a Love here among us
in the winds that blow and embers that glow
and where the Spirit resides,
in us, rather than in a rulebook...
What I lost was so great, and yet
because I lost a place
I found my people.

Big Wind Through the Window

Dark fear comes silently in as smoke under a door,
swirling around me until I smell it and know it.

Today I look at it and say, ¨no.¨

I look at each fear and say, ¨no.¨

I say, ¨no.¨

I depend on Godś love.
I depend on Godś love.
I depend on Godś love.

God´s love as big wind through the window, blows fear away
and keeps blowing.

God´s love sweeping my soul.

unpacking fear

the last couple days on my blogs we have been rolling around fear. it has been said that "hate" is not the opposite of love, but "fear" is. with that in mind, i decided to post today's blog over here on the TLIO blog. jim

last night a few of us fleshed out rick’s thought that fear is often the result of misplaced dependency, which are ways we seek identity, purpose, love, identity, acceptance, life, worth, security, meaning, value, happiness outside ourselves in external things as opposed to depending upon the life of Christ within.

we fear failure because we have a misplaced dependency upon “success” for value and worth.

we fear rejection because we have a misplaced dependency upon other’s opinions of us for acceptance.

we fear financial loss because we have a misplaced dependency upon money for security.

we fear abandonment because we have a misplaced dependency upon significant others for love.

we fear God because we have a misplaced dependency upon a false God who measures his favor and blessing in our life against our performance.

we fear aging or physical setbacks because we have a misplaced dependency on our physical appearance for worth and acceptance.

we fear honesty because we have a misplaced dependency on an image of having it all together for a sense of identity.

we fear being a nobody because we have a misplaced dependency upon being a somebody for a sense of purpose and meaning and value.

we fear…

Christ says, “I AM the bread of Life.” in other words, Christ’s Life which dwells within us, is the Bread that fills and maintains our need and desire for identity, purpose, love, identity, acceptance, life, worth, security, meaning, value, happiness, etc…

we seek all of this outside ourselves, and yet it is fully available in every moment inside of us through the life of Christ - “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” so, we walk in dependency upon the Bread of Christ within us.

(photo by conceptvessel)

We are one.

Be silent.
Know humility.
Feel gratitude.

Bask in God's presence.
We are one.

Photo is from my cousin, Kevin VanHorn. It is sunset at Nehalem Bay.

God/Love Sightings

Yesterday I was in a building where I go on Sundays to worship God in community with some friends. My daughter and son-in-law were here visiting from far-away Florida. While I was standing alongside them, sandwiched between my daughter and another good friend, I was looking directly at other people I love up on the stage in front of me, and what joy there was in exchanging smiles of love as they sang for us all. My youngest son was up there too, and suddenly he broke out playing this lovely riff of a guitar solo, and I got tears in my eyes. What a gift to be surrounded by people I love, and listening to my son express himself through his creativity. I was filled with and surrounded by sacred Love.

And now I'm off to buy French Vanilla creamer for my daughter, so we can share one last morning coffee together before she flies home. I am cherishing these moments, this life, today.

becoming who we are

a myspace friend sent me the below words this morning...

Love is our way of knowing the unknown
Our way of kissing eternity.
The burning desires within to feel Love.
To be Loved is our deeper selves crying out for home.
and in the stillness of silence the force of true Love divine
becomes alive within.
Our Spirit soars.
We experience oneness with all things.
For all things are one.
In that moment of total oneness with the
force of Love we are brought into our true self.
We become who we are.
We become LOVE.

(photo by GemmaKate)

The Call Forth: A Short Play

One Brief Act

One Character: Three Emotes (made up word)

Scene: Very Large Mirror
*Disclaimer: the character represented in this “play” is me, Keren, no one else – the thoughts are true to me at this moment*

Mirror Right: The Good (through passion)
At times, so strongly I feel a sensation, an intense pleasure, a rapture even. I can be sitting by myself and all of a sudden I am touching absolutely everyone and everything and All are held in one golden embrace.

Mirror Left: The Bad (with self-reliance)
This is very real to me. I attempt to hang on to this because I crave Peace in my life, but also respect. I want to show not only to myself, but also to others, that I understand and live Love which I feel and express.

Mirror Straight On: The Ugly (in judgment)
Many times though, I don’t understand why people don’t recognize the obvious love in me, and in themselves, when to me it is so clearly there. They are d***heads.

End.

Commentary: Ok yes, I am in sort of a “mood” based on my own behavior. I still am Love though. Love is through with and in me, and all of us at our core, just not always on the surface.

Peace and Love and Happy
Keren

Bathed in Love

Duke Ellington said, "If it sounds good, it is good." With that in mind, I'm certainly no expert in great literature. However, whenever I read Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau I always hear something good. Take these opening lines from Emerson's essay Friendship.

"We have a great deal more kindness than is ever spoken. Barring all the selfishness that chills like east winds of the world, the whole human family is bathed with an element of love like a fine ether."

How evocative. Those words move me and give me hope. It takes great courage and vision to see this, and I certainly don't all the time. But I've witnessed it enough to believe it to be true

The Unity of All That Is

Love unites all, whether created or uncreated. The heart of God, the heart of all creation, and our own hearts become one in love. That's what all the great mystics have been trying to tell us through the ages. Benedict, Francis, Hildegard of Bingen, Hadewijch of Brabant, Meister Eckhart, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Dag Hammarskjeld, Thomas Merton, and many others, all in their own ways and their own languages, have witnessed to the unifying power of the divine love. All of them, however, spoke with a knowledge that came to them not through intellectual arguments but through contemplative prayer. The Spirit of Jesus allowed them to see the heart of God, the heart of the universe, and their own hearts as one. It is in the heart of God that we can come to the full realisation of the unity of all that is, created and uncreated.
~henri nouwen

What is Love?

I love you whether or not you love me
I love you even if you think that I don't
Sometimes I find you doubt my love for you, but I don't mind
Why should I mind, Why should I mind
What is Love anyway, does anybody love anybody anyway
What is Love anyway, does anybody love anybody anyway

Can anybody love anyone so much that they will never fear
Never worry never be sad
The answer is they cannot love this much nobody can
This is why I don't mind you doubting
What is Love anyway, does anybody love anybody anyway
What is Love anyway, does anybody love anybody anyway

And maybe love is letting people be just what they want to be
The door always must be left unlocked
To love when circumstance may lead someone away from you
And not to spend the time just doubting
What is Love anyway, does anybody love anybody anyway
What is Love anyway, does anybody love anybody anyway

--Howard Jones What is Love

Today these words were resurrected in my mind...somehow my subconscious dug them up from many years ago, when I was in high school and this song was on the radio. I used to think this song was sad. I believed it was saying that no one could ever really Love anyone. But a closer look today revealed something else; it became obvious to me, for the first time, that this song could be perceived as spiritual in nature.

My curiosity was piqued, and in my quest for meaning to this song, I discovered that Howard Jones, the author, practices Nichiren Buddhism. However, I think in many ways these words are universal. If any of us believe in God, we will inevitably at some point doubt God's Love for us. Our understanding of Love is so limited by our human nature we can't help but wonder if God's Love is really real, truly unconditional. Is it really possible that God loves us so thoroughly that our doubts are acceptable to God? As humans, we cannot comprehend this measure of Love, but it does exist.

This song touches me in its last verse. I just wonder if those words don't personify how God views us, how God Loves us? Could we think, for a moment, that God may Love us so much that the door is always left unlocked, even as we pursue our own lives, even, maybe, apart from God? Does God still love us even when we wander away?

Something to think about.

I hope this isn't too trite

After coming by to post and seeing the sad news delivered by Marilyn Ruth, I feel like anything I'd say would be too trite.

I do recall something written by noted psychologist and child advocate Alice Miller. She said that anyone who kills another has already been killed themselves.

This type of violence (not to mention what happened in West Virginia recently) reminds us of the utmost importance to break the cycle and to form new mental, emotional, and practical structures in our lives and world. Life is too precious. Each individual matters.

That poor sweet girl.

May God have mercy on us all.

How can we best love here?

A six year old in our small town was brutally murdered on Monday.

She was beautiful in every way.

The grief here is overwhelming.

My sister offered this bible verse to console me.

Matthew 18:10 ¨Let it not seem to you that one of these little ones is of no value; for I say to you that in heaven their angels see at all times the face of my Father in heaven.¨

Love is reckless; not reason

Love is reckless; not reason.
Reason seeks a profit.
Love comes on strong,
consuming herself, unabashed.

Yet, in the midst of suffering,
Love proceeds like a millstone,
hard surfaced and straightforward.

Having died of self-interest,
she risks everything and asks for nothing.
Love gambles away every gift God bestows.

Without cause God gave us Being;
without cause, give it back again.

by, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi - Coleman Barks interpretatoin

Keren's thoughts
A 12th century Muslim teaches me about God i.e. Love i.e. Jesus to me.

*Love i.e. God in me takes risks
*Love i.e. God in me extends itself
*God i.e. Love i.e. Jesus is unabashedly vulnerable.
*God i.e. Love i.e. Jesus is full of Emotion – like me.
*Human – like me is Needy for Love i.e God in all His people no matter what our backgrounds or current situations happen to be.

I had another post, titled "chanticleer", I was ready to post, and will later. However, recent events, particularly today, in All aspects of my circle of life invloved taking risks for the sake of Love i.e. God i.e. Jesus. So Holy Spirit - here ya' go.

Peace
Keren

PS . There is a New Testament (I think) reference to: "Without cause God gave us Being; without cause, give it back again." Perhaps you might know it?

Gallery Photo of the Week

I have always had an affinity for cracked and broken things - sidewalks, windows, old walls with peeling paint. Within such worn and battered things I know there is a beauty hidden inside, like the heart formed by these cracks and fissures. Within all of our chipped, worn and broken soul places there is beauty, and only great Love can coax it to the surface.

I am your reflection

anne added her above artistic rendering to the TLIO flickr group, which i saw this morning. both the words and the creative design stimulated an awareness of Love's presence within me.

God's Directions

For several years. I lived with chronic back pain. I've undergone treatment and have been feeling much better...until Tuesday when a "flare up" began. This morning after attempting to sit down, I just blurted out, "Wow, it hurts so bad."

My five year old son, walked to me and patted my side. He said tenderly, "That will help you feel better." I replied, "You're so filled with love."

Without skipping a beat, he smiled and blurted out, "That's God's directions!"

Love God

I think I understand ¨love your neighbor¨ better than I understand ¨love God.¨

How can I love God and know God?

God is love.
God is bigger than the universe.
God is the universe.
I see God in creation.
God is still creating.
I am a very important treasured speck of dust in Godś infinite plan.
God is my father and my mother.

Jesus said, ¨pray Godś kingdom of love be on earth as in the heavens.¨
Jesus said, ¨pray Godś will be done on earth as in the heavens.¨

Wait a minute!

I have discovered I am afraid of Godś will! That is crazy!
Why do I feel that way? It does not make sense. I know God loves me.

I don´t want to be separated from God in any way. I want to surrender to God´s will. I want to be one with God.

Are other people afraid of surrendering to Godś will?

I sort of suspect that someplace deep in my memory God´s will has gotten a bad rap.

God . . . would you help me figure this out please?

Re-United with Love

here's what i saw in the below drama...
God is Love. God or Love satisfies, and brings peace, contentment, and joy. But then we sink into the illusions of this world, and forget Love. The journey of our forgetfulness brings suffering, which often re-awakens us to Love's presence. Love never fails. Love never stops seeking us out, and making itself available to us in every moment.

Dive In!

Hey everyone, as you may recall, Jim was graciously invited to swim over to The Porpoise Diving Life this September as guest editor. This is part of what Jim had to say about his guest theme:

"When it was time to turn my attention to the September 2007 edition of theporpoisedivinglife.com, identifying the theme was a no-brainer. I had just finished writing Wide Open Spaces, which continues the story of my spiritual metamorphosis of knowing God beyond religion. It became increasingly clear as I wrote that Love is at the center of my transformation. I share an excerpt from the book about this as part of the September edition.

I invited people to share some aspect of their journey as it relates to Love. I hope the offerings and reflections of Love you'll see stimulate a greater awareness of Love for each person who reads them.

Speaking of Love, I am so often on the receiving end of Love when it comes to Bill Dahl. There are plenty of people with all kinds of concepts and notions about God and spiritual things, but Bill is one of those people who inspires and challenges me because he lives Love, and turns God’s Love for him and in him out to others without condition. Bill is an expression of the unconditional Love and acceptance of God for the world, and my desire for this September 2007 edition of The Porpoise Diving Life is to inspire each of us to likewise be these expressions of Love along the everyday paths of life."

Thank you Jim for all your work on this guest editor theme about Turn Love Inside Out, and my thanks to Bill for his kind invitation. I'm so grateful to know you both!

Picture of the Week

This picture was added to our TLIO Flickr Group by TelPortfolio. it is a photograph of The Compassion Centre in Tory St, Wellington (New Zealand). Today is Labor Day, and when I read about the Centre, the thought of a "labor of love" came to mind. On the website, I discovered that a core value of the Sisters of Compassion is the balance of "contemplation and action." It was hard to miss the connection to the "turn love inside out" theme. In contemplation, we become aware of God's Love in us, for us, and as us. Then naturally, this Love takes shape in words and actions that flow out of us to the world.

Snow on the Mountain

One of my favorite Texas wildflowers is called ¨Snow on the Mountain.¨ On my drive to work I see countless miles of these flowers covering the meadows. They indeed look like drifts of snow. Add the sun rising through low-lying fog, colors reaching across the horizon . . .

All of creation is crying out ¨God Loves You!!¨

As I soak this in I am realizing . . . ¨God is my father and my mother.¨

I am wrapped in mother/father love.

Let Your Love Flow

Let your love flow outward through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.
Then as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;
Your life will bring heaven to earth.

Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

Of Love and Prayer

Recently, I participated in a synchronized blogging event on the subject of prayer. Over 40 people contributed, from a wide variety of Christian perspectives.

One thing really struck me as I read the various posts; the Love. Every person who wrote beautifully articulated, in their own words, the ways in which they experience Love for and intimacy with God. Likewise, every person who commented on each post did so with Love and grace, never challenging another person's practice of prayer or their expression of faith.

I like to see this as evidence of a shift in Christianity many of us are becoming aware of, a shift from each of us believing we have all the right answers for the Christian life, applicable to everyone...to believing many diverse answers are acceptable, and even desirable.

Really what I'm getting at is simple...that we could all relate to each other in a way which accepts the reality of God relating to each of us differently, and each of us understanding we do not possess the right to exclude someone based on how God relates to that person.

I saw evidence it is possible this week in the way a diverse group of people treated each other with respect and gentleness and Love.

Retroactive Love

Several years ago I ran across some articles by a man who had spent his childhood in an orphanage. Richard's stories were heartwrenching; full of abuse, neglect and torment. I wrote and told him how sorry I was for all that he had suffered growing up, and we exchanged email back and forth. Although he was about 70-years-old he told me how long it took for him to learn how to love people, and how disasterous his first and second marriages were. He was happily married for a third time, but said that his wife didn't understand one ritual that he had kept through the years.

Every Christmas he would buy his young boy self a Christmas present. Through counseling Richard had had to travel back and heal the young boy who had been so hurt and abandoned, and a part of the healing he held on to was buying and wrapping a new toy every Christmas for six-year-old "Richie"; something he'd never had growing up. From our exchange of letters I came to know that one thing that Richard had so strongly wished for was a mother who loved and cherished him.

I told him that I wished I could go back in time and be his mother for him. I said how I wished that little Richie would have come through the door after school to a real home, and that I would be there waiting with a smile, a hug, and a warm plate of cookies, anxious to hear all about his day. I told him if I'd been his mother I would have read him stories at bedtime, sung lullabies, tucked him snugly under the blankets, and said a prayer with him. And then I would have kissed him good night and told him I loved him.

Richard wrote back and said that he knew I would have done those things, he knew that I would have been that kind of mother for him. I hope in some small way that I was another little piece of his journey to healing such a broken childhood. I think for a moment together we both rewrote the past and filled it with love.

rest in Love

Lord, teach me to rest in you.
Teach me to see the sky and to think of nothing else,
but the joy of it. Teach me to look at field and flower and be soothed by colors and seasons. Teach me to close my eyes and to rest in the Love that has supported me all my days. Teach me, Lord, to rest in you.

Frank Topping

(photo by omnia)