After a month of spiritual confusion and sorrow, righteous conviction, restitution and finally reconciliation, I am on a huge roll of unification with God and my peers. It is a reboot and I knew it was coming, but wasn't expecting the peace that would accompany it. But with this serenity comes a sort of naivety that all can be rainbows, and I use this word with complete intent.
I am behind my One Year Bible readings and with renewed energy am (attempting) to catch up now. The Word of God is strong in this segment on my Path and I don't want to jump ahead to the current day. I want to really chronologically read the Bible, so when I am inspired by evangelists, or any sermons for that matter, I can feel confident that I know the context of the passages used, and that their teachings can be trusted.
So in my serene little bubble this morning I struggled to read about God's regret for humankind in Genesis chapter 6, and I had to stop as Noah was introduced into the epic. Mankind has acted out of control, and is about to be violently wiped out. But then within a minute, I thought of the moments when I am not serene. I recalled the violence that lurks below the surface, when my instincts are threatened. A wild horse still needing to be broken to a state of humility where I can give to God that which I use to take with force.
And this is not about self-flagellation, this is evidence of the state in daily existence, should we be so fortunate as to really be a part of life. When resources are absent or low, the untamed nature arises, and great evils are committed. But there is a hope that comes in the form of reflection, discipline, sacrifice, and committed connection to self and others. This is a training that can instead surface in times when instincts are threatened.
This doesn't mean that I am righteous, it doesn't mean that I am cured of a soul sickness that plagues all people, but it does mean that I have a chance at not only choosing God in times of trouble, but in fact being diverted from difficulty and obsession altogether. I can learn to live on less, talk less, judge others less, and fight my own faults less. For me this is the true meaning of contentment, and are methods that I can use when I am feeling inadequate, other-than, and fearful.
Apprehension and conflict, which come in the form of anything imaginable, are lurking around every corner. But with God and friends who have the same goals, I wonder if it is possible to create and reside in a world that supports harmony and justice.
I am behind my One Year Bible readings and with renewed energy am (attempting) to catch up now. The Word of God is strong in this segment on my Path and I don't want to jump ahead to the current day. I want to really chronologically read the Bible, so when I am inspired by evangelists, or any sermons for that matter, I can feel confident that I know the context of the passages used, and that their teachings can be trusted.
So in my serene little bubble this morning I struggled to read about God's regret for humankind in Genesis chapter 6, and I had to stop as Noah was introduced into the epic. Mankind has acted out of control, and is about to be violently wiped out. But then within a minute, I thought of the moments when I am not serene. I recalled the violence that lurks below the surface, when my instincts are threatened. A wild horse still needing to be broken to a state of humility where I can give to God that which I use to take with force.
And this is not about self-flagellation, this is evidence of the state in daily existence, should we be so fortunate as to really be a part of life. When resources are absent or low, the untamed nature arises, and great evils are committed. But there is a hope that comes in the form of reflection, discipline, sacrifice, and committed connection to self and others. This is a training that can instead surface in times when instincts are threatened.
This doesn't mean that I am righteous, it doesn't mean that I am cured of a soul sickness that plagues all people, but it does mean that I have a chance at not only choosing God in times of trouble, but in fact being diverted from difficulty and obsession altogether. I can learn to live on less, talk less, judge others less, and fight my own faults less. For me this is the true meaning of contentment, and are methods that I can use when I am feeling inadequate, other-than, and fearful.
Apprehension and conflict, which come in the form of anything imaginable, are lurking around every corner. But with God and friends who have the same goals, I wonder if it is possible to create and reside in a world that supports harmony and justice.
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