david hayward. artist. cartoonist. teacher.

One of the questions I was asked in my interview for my new job teaching international students was, “How easily do you adapt to change?” I answered that there are two kinds of change: one that you don’t ask for but happens to you; and the kind you initiate. I told them that I was good and experienced at initiating change I thought was necessary and good. And I told them that I’ve learned to handle the stress of unwelcome change and negotiate my way to tranquility again.

My life has changed. But both at the same time: initiated by me, but not entirely welcome or easily negotiable. I’m experiencing a bit of trauma.

I realize I could no longer work for and receive my income from the institutional church. I also realize that I need to responsibly support my family and provide income. I do feel this job is a gift and I receive it with deep gratitude and joy. However, I told Lisa that I couldn’t see the big picture right now. How does this fit into the story of my life? Or, how does this fit under the blessedness of my life? That’s something I simply have to entrust right now.

She figures something like this: I have always contemplated, worked toward, and write about unity. Even my Z-theory is an attempt to articulate a unifying theory for the Spirit of Jesus and all religions and philosophies. I have also been very frustrated with the church’s general reluctance or even refusal to see the Spirit of Jesus beyond its walls. And here I am plopped into the middle of a wide range of international students from all over the world: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Bangladesh, China, Korea and Japan, to name a few… and all the religions and philosophies these students represent.

Today was my first full day on the campus. It is wonderful to discern the Spirit of Jesus in every person one encounters. Somehow this is going to help me articulate something my spirit wishes to understand and say.

The painting pictured here, Mystic North #2, is available HERE. It is a watercolor measuring 4″x8″ (10cm x 20cm).

The Z-Theory continues to provide some insights. To catch up on the Z-Theory, just type it into the search box on nakedpastor and you should get all of the posts… all 17 of them! Again, I am only offering this to the discussion. I am in process with this. But I want to share this with you as it develops in my mind. So, this is what I’m gleaning from it these days:

There is a Trinitarian structure to reality. The dream that initiated all this goes as follows: First, there is the source above the rim that we cannot see but can only speculate on. Second, there is the falls, the outpouring of the source. Third, there is the rivers and tributaries from the falls. So, in keeping with this: First, there is the Unknown. Secondly there is the Made Known. Third, there is the Knowing and Being Known. I suggest that this is a basic structure of reality which gives some insight into all things. Even love: First there is the Desire. Second, there is the Consummation. Third, there is the Relationship. The same with thought. First there is the Idea. Second, there is the Articulation of the Idea. Third, there is the Appropriation of the Idea. All religions are congruent with this structure. First, there is God(s) (YHWH, Allah, Divine, Sacred, etc.). Second, the Revelation (usually deposited in a Sacred Texts). Third, the Religion. I would suggest that Christianity falls within this Trinitarian structure. So to be more specific about Christianity then: First, there is God (the mystery, the Unknown, the Wholly Other, etc.). Second, there is Christ (the revelation, incarnation, reception, etc.). Third, there is the Spirit (the community of faith, the spiritual life, the church, etc.).

I find this helpful for many reasons. But one of the main ones is how this can provide a kind of matrix for dialog between people of all kinds of faiths and non-faiths. For we can see from this Trinitarian structure that although the manifestations and all expressions are very different, they unite within a similar kind of structure.