On Jesus and Relevancy...

this is something my friend Bethany wrote. I thought it was really cool and wanted to run it past you guys. Let me know your thoughts.

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On Jesus and relevancy...

I think there is a philosophical disservice done to the concept of salvation through belief in the "person of Jesus Christ." The invitation is unattractive in its seeming exlusiveness: that all men must come to the recognition of a single path of "enlightenment" contained in a particular individual. What I think has been lost, misrepresented, or deemphasized is the philosophy Christ embodies. The point of emphasis of salvation does not rest simply, though necessarily, in his person alone, but equally on his representation. Perhaps the general fear for this line of thinking is the slippery slope: that to focus on Christ as a philosophy and not as a person would lead to alternative means to God. But such a reduction is not inevitable. For the philosophy of Christ includes his physicality, his humanness. In fact, the very reality of his humanity is what makes salvation through him possible at all, on multiple levels. But where Christ becomes distasteful to the thinker, philosopher, or skeptic is on account of what he has been reduced to. Not only is salvation through Christ open-ended and all-encompassing, but the most inclusive creed of all regarding everything we can recognize as absolutes. What Christians have done in my experience is created sub-cultures and boxes that has left vital elements of truth in the cold. They have excluded the secular world from their indoctrinated applications of his truth in an attempt to create protective hedges from falsifications, from sin. This is not done without seemingly good intentions. Yet it leaves some of us wondering if there "weren't more out there." Having experienced truth elsewhere, Jesus Christ in turn appears lacking, close-minded, and irrelevant. But if we are able to burn these boxes, we will discover that what we are drawn to outside of these self-erected bubbles is still represented in him. When we can enjoy all truth as God's truth, and remember that Christ is God's very essence embodied, it frees us to concentrate all our philosophy of righteousness, goodness, and truth on him and him alone. The fact that God in his graciousness did indeed concentrate all truth into one individual is not exclusive, but infinitely kind. It leaves us looking to one man for answers- rather than the entirety of the cosmos.

Silhouettes & Sinews

Silhouettes & Sinews

With these fallen angels in the silhouettes and sinews,
It's hard to know what to choose;
What to believe which are truths,
Where the Divine will use,
A life broken, searching, hoping to be,
Something more than free,
To return to a simple unaffected humanity.
Save me Love, move me close to Thee,
I'm looking to make an escape from me
Before daybreak comes to overtake,
The life I can no longer fake,
Too much at stake to risk the break.
So I hide in the silhouette,
And I pray you'll forget or better yet,
Love me without regret.
Beyond the destruction or dysfunction,
Hidden so deep in my soul,
It sometimes makes it hard to function.
The tragedy is that it's not just me,
This world reflects a fragmented humanity,
Forcing us to redefine the mind,
To redeem a broken design.
Because this is the typical affliction of the distinction,
Hidden beneath the inscription,
The words of the melody of conviction,
The sound that resonates through the town,
A peaceful genocide all around,
Souls falling to the ground,
Despite there not being a single sound -
Only the falling of angels, screaming the whole way down.
But I've seen the glimmer, a shimmer of hope,
Born in the words You spoke,
"Blessed are the peacemakers,
For theirs is the Kingdom,
With their hearts they will create freedom.
Blessed are the meek and the merciful,
Blessed are those that hunger,
That thirst for righteousness,
To walk in uprightness.
Blessed are those who mourn,
Whose hearts know brokenness,
Who choose to love despite all this.
Despite a world they wish to leave behind,
As a distant memory of a season's remind.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For they shall see God within it.
Within a day that is like a disaster,
A moment deficient, a time reminiscent,
With their souls seeing a time so innocent,
Crying out this is Your hope, this is Your kingdom,
Our hearts a reflection, a temple to the resurrection."
We are forgiven, not forgotten.
Because the Word was with God
And the Word was God
And the Word became flesh to manifest,
All God's truth, to be the proof,
In the silhouettes and sinews.
Within the veins of humanity,
To be the Light, to guide the free,
For the Light will be life to humanity.

A Light in the Darkness... (The Incarnate Series)

A Light in the Darkness...
- pt 2 of the Incarnate Series

Can you not hear it this night,
His words on my heart,
Declaring itself love tonight?
Bringing with it a movement, a quickness,
That will illuminate the darkness,
With sacrifice remove the sickness.
Rooted in righteousness, fortified in justice,
There will be no end to this,
A kingdom established in David.
Now the day has come, no time to waste,
Let the world make haste,
See a dream that has become flesh,
A voice calling from the wilderness,
With a heart that will not rest,
Crying out, why do you want to die?
Why forget the truth? Why believe a lie?
As a nation, God has blessed, take rest,
For One comes that is His best,
O Israel, is this not your prayer,
That God will send His Son, a Savior?
In His silence have we not called to Thee?
Pondered the mystery of how He might save you and me?
It is this moment that all prophets testified,
How God would redeem us from a lie.
A reconciliation, a redemption time where we no longer die.
Humanity's prayer answered in the shape of man,
So when you ask, i will confess, i will not deny
That there comes one of whom Scripture testifies,
He will be Light, He will set the world to right.
It will cost Him so much, it will cost him everything,
But His heart is secure, His way is sound,
His love is unrelenting and in Him life is found
He will give His life so we might understand,
How God loves us so very much,
That not even Himself is free from sacrifice,
Shattering the lie that tied man to the ground,
Rescuing souls from a wisdom unsound,
On His shoulders will be the weight of peace,
Consecrating a time without cease,
In which He will increase,
And rid the world of sin's disease.
It will be as a revolution or dissolution,
Shining light through the illusion,
That there is no hope for tomorrow,
Only silver and cold and sorrow,
For when He assumes His kingdom,
In our souls there will be freedom,
And forevermore we will become,
Who He longs for us to become...

Beauty & Light

Beauty & Light

In the subsiding and arising of night,
Dawns beauty born in the light.
The very breath of divinity,
An ever present affinity for humanity,
Creating the nexus of finite with eternity.
An environment free from negativity,
The Garden of Eden, the way we were meant to be,
Where I once again stand because of Your Majesty,
Cause I am a son whose heritage is royalty.
Inside me is the essence of Thee,
Because the Divine came to me.
Not as a spirit in the night,
But as beauty born in the light.
To live a life I never could,
To make decisions I never would,
Defeating this dark resistance,
The black night of the soul, a fragmented existence.
Now I know you don't believe,
That maybe here there's a moment of reprieve,
But trust me, love won't deceive.
Step into the darkness grab one another
Bring beauty & light, free the other.
Just as He sent me so I also send you.
So know what’s true, love is what connects you.
Let them taste the fruit,
Maybe they'll come to know the truth.
Love all, serve all, create a new tomorrow,
Another way to follow, a day without sorrow.
One that mirrors the synchronicity,
The harmony meant to underpin our reality,
But how do we move past the fiction of Christianity,
To a place where all souls can be free?
Not a universal spirituality,
But a love postured towards inclusivity.
This world searches but just can't see,
Jesus called for unity, love without hypocrisy,
Because His followers move with hesitation,
Never trusting the divine revelation,
That we are spirit beings known in meditation.
A space freed from individualistic isolation,
Where God whispers the wisdom of eternity,
A singular reality on the plane of divinity,
The reflection of all He is and all we were meant to be
So let me be quiet, let me be still. Selah...
Breathe into me a divine will.
Let our hearts be so intertwined,
That I don't know Yours from mine.

Environment: The Space You Create for Others to Live In

Hopefully I'm not disclosing this prematurely but it's a thought that's been wrestling around in my heart and screaming from my soul for quite a while. It's this idea of environments. The more I engage others, am influenced by others, influence others, create experiences, enjoy experiences, change culture and read the stories written on the hearts of all I meet, as well as reflect on the pages of my heart, the more I come to believe we are ever-more interconnected than I originally surmised and more environmental than I could've ever guessed. This truth came erupting from my soul when I immersed myself in the narrative origin of humanity, as perceived through the eyes of Christian faith.

One day, a few months ago, I turned to page one of Scripture (Genesis; Hebrew – “Bereshit,” translated – in the beginning)… I just wanted to know what this world was meant to look like and where the divergent point was that re-shaped the trajectory of human history. What resonated in my soul was the divine freedom given to humanity. The first recorded conversation, nay, the first three recorded words ever spoken by God to man, were, “You are free…” We were meant to be free. To know life. This served to underpin and affirm that my heart naturally desires to move towards an environment of freedom. So where did this divinely breathed freedom go?

So I read on…

What I saw is the story between Adam & Eve. Now, even if you are marginally aware of Christianity or Scripture, you’ve likely heard about this whole debacle with the serpent and the apple; how Eve decided to eat of the apple despite being commanded by God not to and how she offered it to Adam and he ate of it. Forget about any statement of faith here. In this moment, when Eve chose to eat the apple and offered it to Adam, the fact that we are environmental creatures screams off the page. In essence, what happened is that Eve created an environment that made it easier for Adam to choose that which is contrary to God, that which is toxic or even read as, that which is contrary to life (if you read on, it is revealed that this act resulted in immediate spiritual death & eventual physical death). Ultimately, this environment that Eve created for Adam acted as the catalyst for him to choose contrary to God which caused Adam’s relationship to God to be severed... but not just Adam's, because all of humanity died in that moment, along with a piece of God. You see, we killed a piece of His love and in order to restore this, God actually sacrificed His son, so that in His resurrection this love and connection would be resurrected.

Epitomized in this moment is the interdependence of all things... There is a pervasive connectedness that underscores the human story. That with one man all of humanity's connection with God was severed and with one man, all of humanity's connection with God was reconciled. We were meant to be one. To move as one. To see our lives not as individualized, disconnected experiences but a shared, communal experience.

And so with this reflection, my heart grieved… wondering… how many people have I created an environment for that cost them their life?

The questions I had to ask myself then became – What kind of an environment am I creating for others? In the wake of my life, will others know more freedom? Will my life breathe life into the lives of those I engage? Will others come to know wholeness because my soul touches theirs with love, leading them to the feeding ground of life? What will be my legacy? When my dreams are woven into the underlying texture of human history, will it enhance the story? Or will it merely be another wasted life, gone from the autumn to the ash?

Ether to Reality

Ether to Reality...

You stand in your pulpit calling the decadent,
To repent, call forth the innocent,
Come closer to God, speak the word of Truth,
Restore the years of your youth,
All the while your smile and denial,
Cover the multitude of sins to be revisited again,
With your words the sanctuary is humming,
Numbing the hearts of those succumbing,
To the words and ways of a false prophesy,
Which in reality is the message of captivity,
But in essence, isn't this what we all fear to be?
A stereotype or living hypocrisy,
Attaching the name of God to mediocrity,
Oh Lord, may it never be that way with me!
Let my pride subside, let me abide and thrive,
In the Name of Love, with the Spirit of Life,
Speak to me in dreams unseen,
But let them move from the ether to reality,
Where on the wings of tomorrow's morn,
We will rise like eagles at the dawn,
Never forgetting our way to Thee,
Bound to your precepts yet walking at liberty,
Leading others to Divine community,
Because our breath declares the presence of Thee,
Your very fingerprints on the essence of me,
Awakening thoughts of this ineffable mystery,
So that I might live out your legacy...

Meditations, Reflections & Words

(my apologies for the choppiness or incoherence of this explanation... kind of tired when writing)

Maybe you aren't like me but here's my issue... I actually have to try to be good. Being mediocre or being selfish or being hurtful or making toxic decisions seems to come so naturally to me. My natural proclivity is to move towards brokenness. Maybe the astrophysicists are right - maybe all things in this universe struggle through a state of entropy, naturally breaking down. I think this is even true in a metaphysical sense because if you examine my experience, my soul, my heart, my emotions and my life naturally move to this place of brokenness. There is a real effort needed to overcome, a real struggle to succeed. Life is not effortless.

But here's what else I know about me. As I come before God and say as David says in Psalm 26, "Search me and know me, oh God..." I begin to heal. All the self-inflicted wounds, all the scars from when life pressed against me so hard I broke, all the bitterness and self-loathing begin to melt because of this movement. At the root of this movement is desire, as desire seems to be at the root of all movement; and so I've understood this movement to be faith because it is the movement towards who God longs for me to become. So this movement is particularly unique because the catalyst is the breath of new life that God breathes into my soul by way of Christ's love, as love is life. With this new life comes hope. The hope that tomorrow can be better than today. This is the freedom I've grown to love in Christ.


Meditations, Reflections & Words

The meditations of my heart
Always seem to go one way
Never the path that finds You
Rather leading me astray

The reflections of my soul
Present a broken humanity
Desiring only to be whole
Rather desperately

The words of my mouth
Never seem to please even me
So I wonder if they find You
Ever smiling at me...

The moments of my life
Always fall short of my dreams
Which make me question -
Why dream if I lack the means?

But God, the faith You've given me,
Moves me from this moment to the next,
Though I know not where it ends,
I know You'll be there with every step.

And God, the love You've shown me,
Instills peace that I'll never understand.
So I need not know all of Your plans,
Rather I give You my life, all that You demand.

Oh God, how marvelous Your hope,
The belief that tomorrow can be better than today
Cause in this moment, with Your grace,
I can forget the sorrows of yesterday

It is here I recognize Your Son, Your Savior,
A salvation that frees me eternally,
With Your love that pursues relentlessly,
Ever presently, always releasing me...

Shattered

Shattered

What can you say about tomorrow?
Will it bring me joy or sorrow?
Will it bring life or will it bring death?
There seems to be a war within this breath,
Where the world calls me a dissenter
To tender my dreams, surrender,
To give up all that I remember.
But I cannot. I refuse to end here.
Because my God does inspire the fire,
That perpetually fuels my desire,
Never to succumb,
To fight this war for freedom
From a life ordinary,
As only God could call me.
But today started in disarray,
My thoughts shattered, my heart astray,
Forcing me to press against the truth
Spoken by God, heard in my youth,
Reminding me I need to lean to stand to win,
To stand against the wind, to live again,
Because I was born to fight for freedom
I was born to fight for freedom
To usher in the kingdom,
To tell the story of hope and peace,
Of a love without cease,
Lives freed by a rebel movement,
Bringing hope that is imminent,
As hearts are postured toward insurrection,
Finding faith in the resurrection
So I say rise and fight!
Be the light - rage against the night!
Against the lion who lies in wait,
Waiting to devour and desecrate.
So don't let the moment evaporate.
Don't hesitate or contemplate
Whether to walk toward this fate.
Pray only for the courage to burn,
The wisdom to discern,
God's plan and learn,
Which step is meant to be next,
Where the Spirit and your life intersect.
Cultivating dreams from the darkness
Where God emerges in our midst,
Illuminating the street where we are to meet,
In a moment standing discrete,
The world beneath your feet,
Never again wondering where He's been,
Because in these dreams He reveals Himself again,
Never to be missed, always in our midst,
Bringing light to the darkness.