belligerent obscurity

do you care enough to leave your comfort? enough to entertain interruptions? enough to give something of yourself - your time, your life, your resources?

I don't care who you are. I don't care if you subscribe to Jesus, buddha, atheism, agnosticism, or a melange. If what you follow does not include the compassionate care of others, you are missing an integral aspect to life.

If your hatred or ambivalence towards God spills over to your fellow human being - you're lacking.
If your passion or fervour towards God does not spill over to your fellow human being - you're lacking.

Regardless of where you stand with God - if your life does not include care for others, my friend - you are truly lacking.

Show me how your self-indulgent narcissism has added value to another. Show me how your ego-centric thinking has improved another.

Or possibly, you pay lip-service to caring. You feign at sacrifice. You robotically appease your conscience.

do you care enough?

ps - just chalk this up as another unfounded guilt-trip, relegated to belligerent obscurity

(im)moral

why do you do what you do?

where does your sense of morality come from?

is it an innate set of morals that you follow? born to do 'good' things and not do 'bad' things?

were you taught morals by those who raised you and so adopted them for your own?

or were you taught morals and so rejected them as your own?

do you follow what you believe God is telling you to do?

in an interesting post on morality, The Unwelcome Guest, asks: "Which is more moral, helping people purely out of concern for their suffering, or helping them because you think God wants you to do it?"

morality is an interesting thing. who truly determines what is right and wrong? are they ambiguous? what may be right for you may not be right for me? what may be right in this culture may not be right in another?

are there levels of morality? someone is more moral than another? can someone actually be immoral?

are there overarching morals that speak to all people, in all times, in all places?

why do you do what you do?

is it out of guilt? out of habit? out of conviction? out of dedication? out of a blind following of the norm?

or maybe you just do and let the chips fall where they may...?

you are loved.

even with everything you've done.
you are loved.

even with everything that's been done to you.
you are loved.

even if you want to be or not.
you are loved.


...but you don't really believe that, do you? always skeptical. always cynical. jaded because you 'know better.' calloused because you've seen different.

regardless of your opinion, demeanour, or attitude - you are loved.
regardless of your acceptance of that love - you are loved, nonetheless.

enjoy it, revel in it, embrace it.
and having been loved - give it.

you are loved.
...but you don't really believe that, do you?

the furious longing of God

just digging into the furious longing of God, by brennan manning.

...and if you could join me, sipping iced americanos, listening to Bon Iver, oh the conversations we would have...

enjoy a couple excerpts:

"the shattering truth of the transcendent God seeking intimacy with us is not well served by gauzy sentimentality, schmaltz, or a naked appeal to emotion, but rather in the boiling bouillabaisse of shock bordering on disbelief, wonder akin to incredulity, and affectionate awe tinged with doubt."

"the seldom-stated truth is that many of us have a longing for God and an aversion to God. Some of us seek Him and flee Him at the same time."

I resonate with manning on a disarmingly honest level.

maybe you as well.

faith is easy.

A fellow blogger that I appreciate reading, graciously responded to an inquiry I had for him. When asked why he would even bother attending church, he responded this way: http://theunwelcomeguest.blogspot.com/2009/07/but-for-my-people-to-pursue.html. Please take the opportunity to read his post.

Now, my thoughts.

do you struggle?

or is faith easy for you?

does something in you desire to believe?

or is it merely out of obligation or good intention?

It seems as though The Unwelcome Guest wrestles more deeply than the majority of people warming pews or stackable chairs or couches. But that's just my take.

What do you think?

an urban parable

One fine Tuesday evening,

a man went walking through an urban park. It was picturesque. The water was placid, the breeze delicate and light. People were about. There was an unusual ambience of elation. Unknown to the man, they were waiting for him, lurking in the dark. He didn't know what was to come. As he came around a quiet bend in the cobblestone path, he was grabbed, thrown to the ground, glasses awkwardly hanging off one ear. He could barely see, crying out for help, they beat him, took anything of value and stripped him down to nothing. The drubbing continued. They laughed as they pummeled his back and disfigured his face. The man thought of his daughter. He thought of how he would miss her innocent smile and that goofy way she played with her eyebrow.

darkness falls...

One fine Wednesday morning,

a Pastor went briskly walking through an urban park. He was known for his passionate sermons. His face would redden with fervour as he exhorted the people. As he went walking he came across a mangled body thrown into the bushes, the movement of breathing nearly imperceptible. Thinking to himself: "That person may have aids for all I know and I have so much to do today" he turned around and walked the other way mutterring about how crime has been worsening as of late.

This same Wednesday,

a man went walking angrily through an urban park. He was known in the church as the wise elder, the one people would come to for advice. Having just fought with his wife, he stomped along and came across a mangled body thrown into the bushes, the movement of breathing nearly imperceptible. Thinking to himself: "Well, he's probably a drug dealer and deserves what he got" he sped up his pace, walking as far away as possible muttering about his wife's ignorance.

Later on that Wednesday,

a man went walking introspectively through an urban park. He was known as the unwanted import, having recently immigrated from a country most wanted their leaders to destroy. As he went walking, questioning why he ever left everything he knows to come to this seemingly Godforsaken country he came across a mangled body thrown into the bushes, the movement of breathing nearly imperceptible. Moving immediately to the body, he called out for help. Realizing no help was coming, he heaved the man's body onto his shoulders and proceeded to carry him to the street to his car. Gently laying the man down, he took him to the hospital. But recovery would be long and the costs of care would be high. Barely able to keep himself fed, he paid for all the costs of the stranger until he fully recovered.

spirituality & politics

for interest's sake, I've come up with a poll about the affect of spirituality on people's political views. please take 10 seconds and weigh-in.