Ever wonder what it would be like to just sit down and talk with
Jesus? Now, maybe you don’t believe in Jesus as a historical reality. I do but
you don’t have to for this to work. Maybe, you don’t believe there’s only one
way to heaven, virgin births or dead bodies rising out of graves and just
knitting back together via some kind of unknown spiritual alchemy. That’s okay
too. I’m not a fundalmentalist these days either. As a matter of fact I keep a
lot of what I think to myself when it comes to religion. I cringe equally at
the pronouncements of zealous religious people and zealous atheists. Actually,
I’ve come to the conclusion that reincarnation best fits the available information
that I have. I have thought this and wrestled with this since the early 80’s
while still maintaining my Christian identity. But, I’m not interested in
convincing or putting my inner journey on trial for anyone else’s judgement,
amusement or salvation. I’m not interested in proving anything.
I love meditation. I struggle with it often. It’s hard (even
for me) J
to let my mind go completely blank. Now my wife might disagree with that last
part. But, when I meditate all of a sudden I have to pee. NEVER FAILS. My head
itches, my arm is asleep, my leg feels heavy , every car that passes sounds
like a jet taking off. But, every once in awhile I get still. I breathe. I just
be. I think that if I can just get quiet enough. If I can just be still and
listen. Look, right there where my third eye is supposed to be in the center of
my forehead. I know you laugh but if I can just….
So, Steve how are you doing? It’s okay you are in a holy
place. Only you and I have the right to be here. Sit down right there. It’s
your spot. Now, it’s been what 60 years since you started out on this particular journey? Me: Well it’s
actually over 59. No need to rush. J
Oh, right. What’s time anyway? Now, I know it’s been a
little hectic for you at times. I know you didn’t always get everything perfect
and I know you haven’t always been treated perfectly. But, I do want you to
know that the things you get right carry more weight on the scales of life than
the things you get wrong. Me: Whew,
that helps. I can name several things I’ve gotten wrong since I got up this
morning.
This social work thing still getting to you? Me: Yeah, it is. I started out a little right
wing and then after seeing so much oppression and sickness and poverty I
started leaning pretty far left wing. But, lately seeing so much whining and
blaming and not taking responsibility I’ve started to go back a little more
center. Still there’s that time I passed the Mexican border for instance. It
looked horribly poor over there. I couldn’t imagine blaming anyone for trying
to get their family across the border. Also, since that time we almost lost our
own home and I wasn’t sure how I was going to buy food and medicine and my
child has asthma and I knew we were not lazy or sorry or leeches. But, we
needed help. Hearing some of my right wing friends talk about Christ in one
breath and letting children drop off Medicaid with the other was frustrating. I’m to the point now where I just want to go
out into the woods by the river and build a cabin and drink coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon and my
inner 19 year old wants to smoke a doobie and just let the frickin world go by.
Yeah, it’s tough. Still, you enjoy that sunrise and I know
you were awed by that moon the other night. I
also know your heart went out when you saw what happened to that child
while working at DHR. You have a good heart and I know that could have made you
more cynical. Me: It’s just that I
learned long ago that God isn’t a cosmic Santa Claus and there are times when
crap happens. But, I get the feeling that right there in the midst of the pain
and misery and evil that you are still there. I don’t see hopelessness. I see
evil that is temporary. I see heart wrenching soul sucking hell that is still
overshadowed by the hope that this is a pale shadow of a greater reality.
Yeah, nice words but it still hurts. People seem to forget
the take up the cross part. No matter what you believe there aren’t any magic
beans to save you from the world.
Me: Yeah, I sometimes think about how Christ showed (no
matter your religion) that this world is so precious that the “Ground Of All
Being” would take on flesh to participate in it. Yet, it so pales to the
reality of who and what we really are that he would lay the flesh down in pain
and move on to a better place in the eternal journey. It gives me hope even
though I’m sure I’m a heretic to the fundamental Christian and a fool to the
atheist.
Yeah, well have ya looked at what I was to the leaders of
the temple? Don’t worry about it. You have to be honest with yourself. After
all you can fool mankind but in your heart when you are alone at night you can’t
escape what you really believe.
Me: You know there are times when I don’t really buy
into the personal daddy in the sky. But, there are other times when I really
need to just sidle up beside you and rest.
It’s okay. You can relax here. You can pull up beside me and just rest.
Me: I will. I really will.
I love you.
Me: I count on that. I count on that big time!
No comments:
Post a Comment