I claim that in Jesus there are no boundaries. There are no edges. There is no center. All in all. None included. None excluded. The differences and divisions, separations and segregations are all inspired, fabricated, endorsed and enforced by the human race.
We are all already one. It is a present reality. Our task is to make it manifest.
(This cartoon first appeared on Believe Out Loud.)
This is very much in line with my popular cartoon last week God at Gunpoint. It reminds me of King Kong: people attempting to control something insanely wild.
It also reminds me of something Annie Dillard wrote:
Why do we people in churches seem like cheerful, brainless tourists on a packaged tour of the Absolute?
What kind of god can be tamed?
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The story of mother Mary is quite astounding. On the one hand she hears incredible promises that must fill her heart with hope for her son. On the other hand there is the bitter reality that seems to manifest just the opposite. I think, above all, she would have to have the quality we call resilience.
Resilience is the ability to withstand or recover from difficult conditions. I think this is a quality we can train ourselves in. We can get better at it. I think at the bottom of it is an implicit trust that all will be well.
Happy Mother’s Day!
God is not orthodox. In the scriptures, God doesn’t punish bad theology. It’s behavior that is the concern. Specifically, behavior towards others.
Anyway, Happy Mother’s Day to all who will receive it!
(I thought I would ramp up my prayers from the cell. My hilarious friend Mike Myers suggested I do this and told me how to do it with my iPhone. This could be a whole new level of fun.)
I said to Lisa that I’ll have a better idea how I feel today tomorrow. It’s true. Part of it has to do with my personality. It takes me a while to get in touch with what I’m really feeling deep down inside.
But there’s another reason too. When we experience some kind of trauma… especially abuse… a part of us… the abused part… freezes over. But when we intentionally begin the healing process, the ice starts to thaw. I’m not saying I was abused, but I certainly experienced one of the most severe traumas of my life when I left the ministry and the church a couple of years ago. I froze over. Eventually, when it became blatantly obvious that I had frozen over, I sought help. Then the thaw began. It’s taking a loooooooooong time.
So, the interesting thing is, I might think I’m doing really well right now. I can actually feel great and say, “I’ve made it!” But tomorrow will come and I’ll improve even further. More thawing will have occurred. That’s the problem with being frozen: you aren’t aware of it. You’re completely frozen over. It’s only after you’ve thawed that you realize you were frozen.
I have the support of an amazing wife and three incredible adult children. I also have a counselor I talk with every couple of weeks. That’s about it. But they are like the rays of the sun in my life. They help my frozen parts to thaw. I feel great today. But I know I’ll feel better tomorrow. I don’t remember being this healthy and happy. Oh my! What’s tomorrow going to be like?
So I just want to encourage you: if you want to, you can feel better. But not just better! You can feel better than you can ever remember. I really believe this is true. I hope you do too.
My name is David Hayward, and I am the nakedpastor. I am a graffiti artist on the walls of religion.
