Jesus, you pitched a plan and caused many in humanity to believe. You helped us hope that our creator is a good and loving father. You also told us that you would return quickly and well, where are you. For 2000 years we have been dying in this hope that you would redeem creation, all humanity and usher in your kingdom of peace. It is frustrating that you never came back, and your followers wait while scorned by scoffers and history a like. “Where is your teacher, where is your God,” they say. Jesus, you presented a wonderful plan, lead by example and it makes our hearts fear we live a lie, a false hope. “To whom else do we turn, who else has the words of life?” Apostle Peter.

Jesus, you speak hope and awe into my heart, yet at times you scare me in your apocalypse. Will you separate us in love and judgment and what the fuck does this mean? What is the afterlife, and did we just invent it? I trust you with most of my heart, but there is a part that is scared that you are petty and violent like Moses described your father to be. Im glad that you brought a new word after Moses! I think you are love… I hope you are… I hope this whole faith has a primary grounding in truth and what is. So much of religion is man made… Jesus, what about all this pain? What about injustice? What do we do with our pain, our broken dreams, our political preachers, our false dogma, and the tension your teaching places upon us? There is so much beauty, hope and faith in the storm and the quite river, but they can shift so fast and bring us to an end and the same thing that brings inspiration can bring suffering.

To be your follower, to place my hope in your teaching, to believe you will return in loving justice is my faith. I am still discovering what faith is and what it is not. I declare the words of our current poet, Alexie Murdach, “my salvation lies in your love.” I await your return as so many who have died in this same hope. Raise me from my slumber in this life and when I am gone. May I see things as they are, strong in faith, rich in love. Come Jesus come.

 

I like this quote by John Muir and it gives rise to hope in its dark muse.

“We soon cease to lament waste and death… and faithfully watch and wait the reappearance of everything that melts and fades and dies about us.” John Muir

 

 

The Teaching:

“Let not your heart be troubled… I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

 

The Practice:

Give your heart permission to contain the hope along side of the doubt. Let go of dualism (either or thinking) and allow what is to be. We can hope in the darkness, we can hope in the light, we can ask questions and still allow faith to exist. I give you permission to be human in case you are holding yourself and others to too high of a standard.

 

Lyrics by Alexie Murdach

“When I am alone

When I’ve thrown off the weight of this crazy stone

When I’ve lost all care for the things I own

That’s when I miss you, that’s when I miss you, that’s when I miss you

You who are my home

You who are my home

And here is what I know now

Here is what I know now

Goes like this..

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, in your love, in your love”