“The great Allower”

Learning to trust in this state of allowance. Leaning to allow and have hope.

Shit happens and grace flows at the same time across our universe. If there is a God, why does the being sit by and not intervene when so much needs redemption? Why does God allow such evil, suffering? If God is all-powerful and why does he do next to nothing about it? Jesus gives us a small insight to this mystery in a few stories he told, but he still leaves us sitting in the tension of this difficult question. It seems that this is what faith is about, its about sitting in the tension, the unknowing, and learning to be ok with our own inability to grasp the fullness of reality. I have wondered if this kind of God, one that chooses allow evil to happen, how can he be good, how can this being be trusted or safe refuge. It is important to acknowledged the flipside of this coin, why do evil people and noble souls still receive such grace, the same grace as all creation is the lavished benefactor of. Jesus tells us that there will be redemption and justice, but not now. Jesus invites us to wait in our questions. He tells us that mercy, love and grace are abundant in the universe, and I believe this truth to be self-evident.

 

Jesus tells us that our father (God) causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

He also tells a story about a farmer with weeds that gets planted into a farmer’s food crop and uses the story to give us a small window into the mind of God. Jesus says, Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned.”

 

Teaching of Jesus #12

The Teaching: There is a plan in the work that redeems all creation and God will wipe away systematic evil. He will stop injustice and his redemption plan will be praised and wildly celebrated as good when we experience it.

The Practice: Let the deepest questions about life and God burn in your heart. Don’t pass judgment on them, but allow the questions to change you here and now. When we make room for these questions in our souls we make room for God, faith and grace.

It seems that justice is apart of the divine order, but it’s not within our timing. We are told to let go, turn the other cheek, lay down our lives and invited into humility. It seems that Jesus invites us into a deep life of faith that one day, it will all make sense, but in this state of being. So we are asked to sit in the tension of these difficult questions with incomplete answers. We are challenged by life and all its paradox, and I cling to this, “Great Allower,” and trust that the plan is a good one, that redemption is a process, and that I don’t have all the answers.

One of the great kings of the ancient Hebrews said this to his son as advice for living a life of faith. “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways submit to him and he will make your path straight.” Solomon, son of David

 

 

Let go, release, and you don’t need to white knuckle your life. Surrender to the divine, to Christ, and allow Spirit to transform your life. We must not insist on our own will, agenda, and vision, we are invited to a deep surrender and trust in the goodness of our creator. What I’m talking about is the path of transformation. Great love and great suffering are typically the triggers that drag or draw us into this journey. We don’t choose our furnace, but we do choose how we walk through the fire.

 

Teaching of Jesus #11

 

The Teaching: If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

 

The Practice: Open your hands symbolically as you pray this week. This outward gesture is leading with your body, inviting the heart to follow in openness to the Spirit. Ask God to illuminate and name things, attitudes, people, situations, ect… that you need to surrender in order for your transformation process to continue. Continue to loose your life into the teachings of Jesus.

 

We must name what to let go of, or what has been taken from us. Jesus invites us into a new stance towards our suffering, he offers a new attitude that believes the father is good and will use all things, even what we consider bad, for our good transformation. What I’m talking about here is a daily practice that is not easily assimilated into our character. We must be continually adhered to the teaching, to not insist on our own life, but to radically trust in the teachings of Jesus, to put them on and allow the transforming work and power to flow within our lives. Then we can find the life God has hidden for us in Jesus. I am invited to surrender, and acceptance of the teachings with out my personal judgments. I must trust that this promised life is good, but like CS Lewis says, we only know our homespun mud pies, when the Spirit is inviting us into a holiday at the sea.

 

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” C_S_Lewis