Job is the paragon of patience in the Bible. (see; James 5:11 KJV) What a joke! Job whines, bitches, and bellyaches with the best of them. He curses the day he was born in chapter 3 (starting with verse 3) and carries on through chapter 30 verses 20-21 (I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not. Thou art cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me). Understand, I have no problem with Job's reaction to losing all he's got (including his health). What I have a problem with is the superficial depiction (ie, "the patience of Job") that persists to this day about Job's true response. Unrealistic, suggested superhuman endurance in the face of abject adversity lends itself to self-condemnation and, possibly, self-loathing. Do not do this to yourself.
As I have said in other posts, honor your initial reaction to the events in your life. If you need to rage, rage! If you need to curl up in a little ball and cry like a baby, do so. If you wish to denounce God, by all means have at it ('Thou art cruel to me'). What I ask you not to do, is decide that this is all there is. That the story ends with you overwhelmed, victimized, beaten. That is not your destiny. Nor is it what the story of Job illustrates. Even after his endless kvetching, Job is restored, and more. (42:12) That is the moral of the story, not Job's patience. After tragedy or catastrophe, let it be your story as well.
Friday, January 1, 2016
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Affliction
It's hard to hang with God. It seems far easier to be swept up and away in a storm of disbelief, doubt, denial. The inexplicable swallowed up in the solution that it is an indifferent universe--infinitely cold and distant, a tilt-a-whirl spinning mindlessly, enacting the danse macabre to the same tired, trite tune.
It's hard to hang with God. When you observe the same senseless acts of cruelty, racism, and hatred, played out over and over, endlessly, like a rerun on a channel you are incapable of changing despite all efforts to do so; would seem a good time to call it quits.
It's hard to hang with God. A lifetime of unfulfilled prayers, petitions denied, supplications ignored, lends itself to a skeptical mind and a cynical heart. These are simple by-products; the exercise of cause and effect, night following day, despair trumping deity.
It's hard to hang with God. There seems much to support severing the relationship, evidence to end the event. And I would if I could but I can't...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osVaF4t-zFc
It's hard to hang with God. When you observe the same senseless acts of cruelty, racism, and hatred, played out over and over, endlessly, like a rerun on a channel you are incapable of changing despite all efforts to do so; would seem a good time to call it quits.
It's hard to hang with God. A lifetime of unfulfilled prayers, petitions denied, supplications ignored, lends itself to a skeptical mind and a cynical heart. These are simple by-products; the exercise of cause and effect, night following day, despair trumping deity.
It's hard to hang with God. There seems much to support severing the relationship, evidence to end the event. And I would if I could but I can't...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osVaF4t-zFc
Monday, December 21, 2015
Friday, December 11, 2015
To Russia With Love
If you come back a third day, know this is directed at you. Your interest has been a balm. Bolshoj spasibo!
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Glimpse
"But you...apparently accord this bird some reverence. Do you think it has some magical power?"
"Absolutely not. That would be unthinkable for us. We are not practitioners of magic. It is a symbol for us, a memory, a relic, an inspiration, a reminder of what God asks of us."
"And what does God ask of you?"
"To fly without wings. To do what seems impossible. To cling to our loves through the rapids of our hates. To know God charges us with the task of making miracles. They exist between person and person, as flame goes from candle to candle. To know that all we can know of right and wrong is through the way our acts are revealed in the lives of other people. There is no other way to see God."
Patricia Storace from The Book of Heaven
"Absolutely not. That would be unthinkable for us. We are not practitioners of magic. It is a symbol for us, a memory, a relic, an inspiration, a reminder of what God asks of us."
"And what does God ask of you?"
"To fly without wings. To do what seems impossible. To cling to our loves through the rapids of our hates. To know God charges us with the task of making miracles. They exist between person and person, as flame goes from candle to candle. To know that all we can know of right and wrong is through the way our acts are revealed in the lives of other people. There is no other way to see God."
Patricia Storace from The Book of Heaven
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Model Behavior
I introduced you to Gwenn Jones back on July 13th, 2013 (see archive). As the world spins in torment and the agony of self-incrimination, I thought I would share how Gwennie responds to the madness...
I recently read a Patricia Storace quote: (The Book of Heaven) "Women are the knights without armor, the soldiers without an army." As terror grips the planet, take comfort knowing there are those who stir the stagnation of fear by tracing the infinity sign in the morass whispering, "thank you." Not in ignorance, but defiance.
I recently read a Patricia Storace quote: (The Book of Heaven) "Women are the knights without armor, the soldiers without an army." As terror grips the planet, take comfort knowing there are those who stir the stagnation of fear by tracing the infinity sign in the morass whispering, "thank you." Not in ignorance, but defiance.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Ahlan wa Sahlaw
The welcome I extend is to the first visitor from the United Arab Emirate. (first new country since the Bahama's on 7-20-15) The UAE consists of 7 emirates with Abu Dhabi serving as the capital. It is an Islamic country who's official language is Arabic. Interestingly, immigrants outnumber nationals by a 9 to 1 ratio. I am curious if the visitor is an actual Emirati, or an ex-patriot currently residing in the UAE. I had a former teammate from Troy High School (Brian Lester) who once lived there for some time, coaching a basketball team in Dubai. Still, I know so very little of the country, I would be grateful if the unknown guest would take time to post a comment and tell us about themselves, how they found this blog, and anything permissible to share (it seems wise, given the circumstances, to be discreet on social media). Maa salama!
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