Intolerant ("Welcome to Reality" Part II)

Are we confined to the purpose of wallowing in the misery of the despair of the world around us? Or maybe more applicable to many of us, even simply disconnect from it, choosing instead to live lives in a simple little bubble of work, play, school, and church, with people around us who agree with us, or at least tolerate us from time to time? And our priorities include only that which will not stress the edges of that bubble, or make us uncomfortable, or challenge our pride and lofty opinions. Things that are pleasurable, though ultimately superficial and meaningless in the grand scheme of this thing we have defined as reality, not to mention eternity. But really in the bubble how often do we truly attempt to understand the implications of this reality, eternity, or the consequences we can or may induce in either.

Sure, maybe we'll expand the bubble every once in a while to include another person or two, or conform it to meet the needs of a situation, but really do we ever dare to even think of a world outside that bubble? No, of course not, we must instead be content with the way things are, giving nothing but a glance to those who are not within but our deepest of confidences, though really how deep are even they, being more of mere acquaintances with those we call our friends, because really who has the time or desire to actually invest in a person, to actually know them truly. And I mean more than a handshake or a hug or a "Hey how's it going" and five or ten seconds of attention once or twice a week.

And that is absolutely despicable!

Yet, this is the world so many of us live in. Notice I use the word "us", not to exclude myself by any means, and I'll even go so far and be so bold to say that this is a tendency often enjoyed or at least expressed by the members of the BCM of Western Kentucky University, of which I am also a part of, and in which there are several people I very deeply respect and those who do not entertain such habits as the ones I speak of. But humor me as I make a few perhaps dangerous though curious generalizations. And before you get offended, perhaps you could examine yourself and hear me out. Perhaps you are experiencing these feelings of sharp defense because I am indeed about to threaten the stability of your own bubble.

But who would dare to pop our cozy little bubbles and maybe take a chance for once, to have a little faith? I'm as guilty of this as anyone, if not moreso. But does it make it any less true when I say Love cannot be confined to the little worlds of our own creation we choose to contentedly live and indeed cower in, and in fact I would go so far to say Love despises such things. Yes, people are different; this is inevitable. But can we not take a firm grasp on reality, on Love, cast aside our prejudices, our high and mighty, holier than thou mindsets, our opinions, our pride, our compromises, and even our own fear of being discovered to be what we really are behind all of the walls and masks and just say

My God! Please, please, break my heart for what breaks Yours. Let my lips speak only that which you wish your people to hear. Let me be Yours and Yours alone, and let Your Love be the only thing I long for, and the only thing shown in me because it truly is the only thing that is in me.

Can we cast aside everything we have set to be our priorities, and instead let nothing but this reality of Love to be a priority. Because really in the face of this stark reality, nothing even holds up to be second, third, or even on the list. Now, I'm not saying we should all drop everything and rush over to the deepest, darkest regions of the world to preach the Word. Yes, we must live our lives, go to school, to work, handle our responsibilities, but what could these things become when Love is let loose? Blessings, through which Love explodes! Love doesn't just take over our priorities when we choose it; it envelops everything we are and have to use it bless others and even us.

What could we become when we allow our comfy, pathetic bubbles to be popped, and actually invest in others, getting beyond the surface into what is, dare I say it, uncomfortable? Risky? Will we shy away because of what we might expose ourselves to be? Or will we trust that the same Love in us is doing a miraculous work in those around us as well?

Would we dare to draw attention to ourselves? To be different? To raise our hands and say no I don't agree and this is why. To stand out from the crowd instead of flowing with it as we are so inclined to do? To be uncompromising, unflinching, unwilling to back down because of the joy, hope, and power of the Love running rampant in and through us?

To be set apart, as we are called to be?

All because Love is what it is.

Can we possibly, finally, rise to the challenge of truly being the people of the one whose name we bear?

Will we be Christians?

Can we read the Bible, the very words the God we claim to love has given us, and believe it? And act on it? Without compromise? Can we love others without accepting the sin they refuse to let go of, or will we instead hesitate and rationalize for them? Often because of our own discomfort or willingness to tackle the hard questions of life...or fear of being labeled as close minded, intolerant, prejudiced, and bigoted.

I hate that word, "tolerance," by the way, simply because of the massive cop-out it has become, though let me qualify that statement before you think of me in any way hateful. But when did Love become an excuse for the depravity we wish to wallow in? When did we decide to sacrifice truth so that everyone is happy? Truth should not be compromised because people start to squirm in their chairs! There is a very significant difference between loving others and stamping a bug "OK" on everything they do. Must we allow sin, and at I'm sure major risk to myself and the respect of several of you I say such as homosexuality, to become wholly accepted at the dread of being called "intolerant"?

So does that mean Jesus was intolerant, a bigot? Because He refused to compromise for those that could not recognize their sin for what it was? Last time I checked, there were plenty of unhappy people around wherever He went, people who didn't want to get over their own self pronounced piety, and they ended up killing Him for it! Yes, He went to people who needed Him and His Love, His grace, and forgave them. But didn't He also say, "Go and sin no more"?

We are a church of failures, of fools, of flat out messed up people, of sinners. Sinners saved by grace. And yet this does not excuse the actions of others, and especially not our own actions! That the people of God, the ones who bear His very name, would dare to make excuses for the things the One who saved them despises is in itself despicable.

We as humans may be no better than that. And yet we are called to be better than that. Humans saved by grace. And transformed by Love.

So will we realize this stark reality and all of it’s implications?

Will we be wholeheartedly decide to be intolerant of ourselves, our own self proclaimed piety, our bubbles, our compromise, and just Love? And can we confront the hard things in life, and the things in those we Love, because we do indeed Love them?

What would this even look like, to dare to get out of our bubbles? Maybe it's a spontaneous call to just talk. Maybe it's a risk to trust at one's own personal risk and confide in another. Or even to sit down and ask, and genuinely be interested, invest, and listen to what another is going through. Or to lovingly confront. Or to talk about something you've been struggling with, or one of those simply hard questions in life. Or to just joke around, be ourselves with people we never thought we would. Or to stand out from popular opinion and ideas. Or to disagree with the things another is saying because it simply isn't right. Or to run the risk of being looked down on, even laughed or sneered at, disdained, for standing up for simple truths. You all are smart, creative people, I'm sure you can think of something and you sure don't need me for that. But I would challenge you to simply dare to not be comfortable. And to truly Love others. Those who are our brothers and sisters in the one whose name we bear, Jesus, so that He may be proud of us. And those who He so longs to wrap in His arms and lavish with His Love, those who are lost, so that He may proud of us. But most importantly, so that we may Love, and so let others know that they may know Love.

I don't claim to have all the answers; i could never hope to find or give them all, especially where Love is concerned. But then I guess that's why we aren't expected to find or know or give them all. And I guess that's why they call it faith.

"And these three remain: faith, hope, and Love. And the greatest of these is Love."

Please, do not be offended by anything I have said, though if such a thing suits you feel free to be so as long as it truly, honestly makes you think. Though indeed, much of what I have touched on are tendencies every one of us, just being humans, have dealt with and most likely will continue to deal with, so keep such things in mind. But if I made you uncomfortable in any way, well good! Call me harsh, but I meant to be, because comfort is overrated and certainly not required or really even a part of the lives we should be living outside of these bubbles that should not exist. Life is uncomfortable, is hard. If you haven't seen that then you need to start questioning where you've been living.

If you do have any questions or comments please feel free to offer your thoughts. I'm just one guy, and a lot of what I just said is probably confused and disconnected, and I am fully aware there is a lot there, but I would love to hear another perspective as the basic idea presented here is one we could all do to ponder a little longer.

And more than ponder, perhaps even do something about.

Dive Deep.

Stark ("Welcome to Reality" Part I)

So what really is this thing called reality?

Now before I go any further, don't think that I've lost it completely, that all this time away from writing has left me somewhat removed from my senses or grasp on that which I have put into question here, this thing called reality, or anything of the sort. On the contrary, the last several months have been quite intriguing on a personal level, and some harsh realizations have been made to come to terms with, but I'll probably go into that at a later point. No, I merely wish to raise a simple inquiry into what we as people think of the world we live in, this very existence even, something a little deep I suppose you could say, or perhaps even disconcerting, but I assure you as I'm sure you already know, this is a question each and every one of us must deal with.

It is a question of vast importance really, when you begin to think of it's implications. Because hidden away in that word lies all of the other questions that one may choose to debate, or even flee, in this life. This concept of "reality" contains the potential to shape our views on purpose, relationships, priorities, everything that makes us human really.

And so I here I ask, what really is this thing called reality?

Love.

That is our reality.

Now who could have seen me coming up with something like that...
I suppose at least it's nice to see even after so much time of not writing at least some things never change.

But seriously now. What else could it be? Alright yes, we live in a world consumed by war, by hate, by anger, by despair, and by sin. Even if we do not physically see it every single moment of every single day, even when we attempt to downplay these realities in our minds, that reality ultimately cannot be reasonably ignored. Especially when is so easily invades our very minds...

Indeed, it can be a very stark reality in which we live.

But when viewed for what it really is, the limits to joy simply do not exist.

We live in a reality solely dependent and in fact created out of and flowing from Love itself.

But how? How in this world with so much hatred and despair could Love truly be reigning in every imaginable and unimaginable avenue of this reality? I will tell you.

Because that Love is so great, so irresistible, so unstoppable, that it risked even the fate of humanity itself for the chance that each and every one of us might experience Love to it's utmost extent. For the possibility that we might finally just let go, let it break down us and every wall we have constructed, let it shatter every mask we have created so that we might just experience how indescribably awesome it is to be Loved. And to Love. To know Love.

Love put the fate of this reality into the hands of humans, and gave them a choice. To Love.

And yet just by looking around us we can see how miserably we have failed, and so have been cursed by it. Not merely the first two who were given this choice in the Garden, but each of us. A choice we were given, and a choice we have made and in ultimately failed in that choice.

For without a choice, could this unfathomable Love truly exist and be given a chance to touch as it so desires to, as some of us have experienced, and some of us so desperately need it to?

True, the world around us may not be fair. It may not be "fair" that all of humanity was cursed by the choice of the two in the Garden. It may not be fair that we are forced to deal with the consequences of those in power in this world, whether it be war or corruption or whatever else. And it may not be fair that we have to deal with the consequences of the choices of those around us, those we call friends and family, or even people we barely even know exist.

But is it really fair for them, too, to have to deal with the consequences of our choices?

It is fair that, by having given this choice, a choice we face every moment of every day, and in turn the chance to experience this incredible Love, that when we fail those around us must deal with the consequences of that choice?

No, it's not. It is not fair that we have been given this chance to Love at the phenomenal, potentially eternal, risk it places on the lives of others. And yet given it we have.

Not one of you reading this can claim not to made this choice.

And not one of us can say we have flawlessly dealt with this choice, this opportunity to Love. You may not have done something viewed to be as abhorrent as murder, but still none of us can claim never to have either lied, cheated, stolen, or failed to control our minds or tongues. None of us are perfectly faultless. We have all fallen short in making this choice, and so we and everyone else must deal with the consequences.

So we have been given this choice, and with it inherently comes a great risk.
And yet with great risk comes the potential for unspeakable joy, hope, and Love.

These are what makes the consequences of our choice so brilliant, because if in our failure we can so impact the lives of others, how much more so when we choose to Love?

Obviously, the reality of this reality is something I have very much had to deal with myself, and I must be honest. These last few months I have, however reluctantly, been brought face to face with the stark reality that we live in and the foolishness with which I have been prone to handle myself in this reality. The mind is a very dangerous thing, something each of us have to temper and control, and pride is not something that is easily conquered, nor is anything else that we find may find ourselves clinging to. Personally I have found it so easy to simply wish to have all of the answers, right in front of me, able to be clearly seen, perfectly outlined and easily comprehensible. And once comfortable in this train of thought I found myself very prone to become lost inside the mess that is my mind, often becoming cynical of certain things, downplaying others, rationalizing and reasoning my way through everything until I was complacent and pointedly analytical of everything. Overly so, I must admit. And I very simply began to forget that most basic concept of faith. That may not make any sense to you but to simplify it even still now every time I even think of the word "faith" it seems like a completely new idea to me. I knew it all, or I thought I did, the facts about that faith, about God, but that joy was not there, and the reality of Love living in and through me lost it's sharpness. I lost focus, suffice it to say, and the consequences of that are now painfully obvious to me. And I am thankful that by that same Love I was still blessed through it all in magnificent ways and have begun to come through it relatively whole, spared in ways I can't begin to imagine.

But anyways, what I meant by all that was that everyone in some way must deal with this choice and ultimately fails in some form or fashion. You may not see my ordeal as earth and life shattering as certain things you may have been through, and I certainly don't claim it to be and as I said I have been spared in ways I surely do not rightfully deserve. However, I think it brings up a brilliant point of perspective for the implications of this reality.

For me, I lost focus, and in doing so lost much of my joy and ultimately hope, hope of escaping such a mindset and eventually began to lose sight of the most basic aspects of this reality, such as faith, hope and of course Love. And really these things are what guide who we are, and as our conceptions of these things change so does our grasp on this reality. And in turn, perspective on our purpose and priorities.