Long Way Here

In the Hebrew creation narrative I see a story of conflict in the cosmos (see Genesis 1:1-4). The earth was formless and empty. I also see what is almost a contradiction. On one hand creation exists, yet on the other there is no creation, only formlessness and darkness. There were no mountains, flowing valleys, seas or flowing rivers; no life. Within this chaos of disorder, the Spirit of God began God’s life-giving, beautiful work. It is in the disorder and chaos that the Holy Spirit is willing and wanting to give life.

C’mon y’all! The Spirit is God’s powerful presence able to work in the conflicts and contradictions of life!

The Spirit works in disorder and order, so that God may create a better order. The Spirit works in darkness and light, so that God may create a greater light. The Spirit works in barrenness and beauty, so that God may create a fuller beauty. The Spirit works in death and life, so that God may create a more abundant life. The Spirit is God’s power always present and at work in and through God’s people.

This is a part of the Christian confession (and helps make sense of some of the practices of our faith).

Take courage.

Hold on to hope.

Some days that’s hard enough. Some days that can be enough.

When some folks say, “Keep it simple,” could it be that what they are grasping for is something more accessible? And if so, why? Sometimes the language of “keep it simple” means, “Don’t go too deep.” It’s true that the “simple” can be made complex and impractical, depending upon the ability of the communicator. But the “simple” is also in danger of being thinned-out and devoid of the depth that makes sense of the “simple.” “Simple” isn’t always easy to grasp. Simple can and may be hard, and it’s the “hard” that makes it complex or “above my head.”

The tragedy of our current moment is we don’t make time to think. We have grown accustomed to being told how or even what to think (of course we would never admit it). We don’t read as much. We are becoming more and more a screen-driven culture of thoughts 250 words or less. Our brains are (literally) becoming rewired and trained to take in only small chunks of information. If it’s complex or disorienting information, like things we disagree with, it’s even less. We deny the impact of poetry and take less time to appreciate aesthetic beauty. We would rather “talk it out” than do the work on the front-end with reading, listening, and thinking, (and praying) before we talk. We are a society of TED talks and have legitimized our methods and approaches.

So let’s each one of us ask ourselves, how much do we read? Or do we settle for soundbytes or audible-based mediums like podcasts? And if we don’t read, which is problematic no matter how neurodiverse or differently-abled our brains may be (oddly, many who say they don’t like to read often read for their jobs or read a plethora of hot takes any given day), how much do we listen to presentations we already know we won’t agree with? If we don’t do any of this we are in danger of mistaking simple for shallow.

So what to do? Choose not to settle. Choose to stretch your brain. Just as an athlete runs that extra mile or lifts that extra rep, read a little more today than yesterday. Be gentle with yourself, but challenge yourself. Start reading poetry. Step inside the metaphor, hyperbole, rhythm and rhyme. Choose to listen to presentations or podcasts you disagree with and sit with the disagreement a while. Take notes. Be reflective. Invest the time.

If you’re a Christ-follower, read the Sacred Text. Find a translation that is new to you. If reading is hard, do what you can. Or, find an audible version and read along with it (you can do the same for books in general).

Or maybe even better, begin by practicing silence and stillness. Learn to just sit in silence for one to three or ten minutes a day. And if you’re a Christ-follower, do so in the awareness of God’s presence within and around you. Practice this daily.

In the words of Marcus Aurelius, “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” Something so simple is at the same time so wondrously complex and, in our busy and frantic world, hard to do.

I’m convinced we are resilient people. I’m convinced that our brains are malleable and able to be stretched and “rewired” with intentional consistent practice over time.

Don’t settle.

And for those of us who communicate, the same for us. Don’t settle. Call people to deeper thinking and higher mindedness. Let’s work on our craft and get better at communicating. But let’s allow the simple to remain hard and if necessary, deep. Believe in the hearers to do the hard things, and allow the ones who won’t to receive what little they want.

With all this said, I could just be making simplicity complicated. 🤗

The darkness may be around us but it doesn’t have to be in us.

Beloved, resist.

Reach for love.

Reach for joy.

Don’t deny the darkness, but don’t be overwhelmed by it.

Tell the truth, shame the devil.

Live the truth, silence the deniers.

Follow Jesus.

Selah.

“If you are here unfaithfully with us / you’re causing terrible damage.”
~ Rumi the poet, 800 years ago in “Forget Your Life.”

Who you invite into your inner circle matters. You can love and welcome all your neighbors without submitting yourself to harm and abusive relationship. As a pastor I’ve had to learn (and still am learning) this the hard way. Some will choose to remain in the drama triangle—victim/martyr/persecutor cycle. Some will see you as a means to the end of their needs. You don’t have to stay close to that. You can remain hospitable and compassionate. You can demonstrate a forgiving-love. But you do not have to keep close company with those who cause terrible damage.

So, in the words of a quote I read the other day, “If standing up for yourself burns a bridge, I have matches. We ride at dawn.”