My trail mates and I have returned from the Paria Canyon. Her curves were intoxicating, aquatic and feminine. Her touch luminous and chilling. Her presence was a grip and it calmed the core with soothing tones. I feel great.
And now it's time again for some of my ink to spill into the internet, the web, that unknown expanse of nothingness that somehow holds all of these words and interactions we have.
Jesus of Nazareth.
A miracle baby with a big story: the carpenter turned rabbi, the rabbi turned revolutionary, the revolutionary turned religious icon.
I wonder at times if, as a religious icon, Jesus wishes he might have avoided that last stage of his evolution and remained a revolutionary? Inspiring change and rebuking indifference in the lives and hearts of the men and women who gathered around him.
I wonder, in his revolutionary days, if Jesus may have thought fondly back on the simplicity of his teaching days? A rabbi telling stories and offering anecdotes pertaining to matters of living in a harsh and humorous world.
And as a rabbi might Jesus have reminisced about his father's workshop? Where with his hands busy and tongue still he experienced the luxury of practicing a craft.
It's no wonder Jesus often withdrew to lonely places. We have overwhelmed him with our demands: "Teach us." "Inspire us." "Save us."
What is a wonder is that Jesus comes around any more at all, that Jesus ever returned from the lonely places. He must have loved doing what he did: incarnating love, befriending the friendless, touching the untouchables, partying with the partiers; amongst other things.
I believe in Jesus' resurrection, but not his ascension. I don't think heaven is a place in the sky that Jesus could or would have ascended to. I don't like the idea of a satellite Jesus, an outer space Jesus, a Jesus in orbit.
I like the idea of a shekinah Jesus, a Jesus who wandered off in the midst of the scandal of his return from the dead, and who has been amongst us in one way and another ever since. Yes in spirit as a teacher and revolutionary and religious icon. But with his body as well. Biting his tongue and using his hands and still making friends, loving humanity, loving life.
I wonder how Jesus would feel being referred to as a Religious Icon? ..."Icon" means to be a symbol of something, a representation...an Image of something. Jesus was not an Icon of a religious movement. He was the ACTUAL image of God...the exact representation of His nature and I think the scripture show he fully embraced that...and I think as much as it hurt and as much as it cost Jesus LOVED being our Savior and according to the scriptures it was if not the major reason, at least a Huge reason he came...and I he said himself in many ways that he embraced that role...he did not lament it. According to the scriptures he was not a "revolutionary"...the zealots tried to thrust him into that role and he refuted it. Jesus was not a revolutionary...he was a lamb!
ReplyDeleteI am sure he loved doing the things you described, healing, befriending etc...but he also said that it was "better" for him to die....so it seems to me that he answers your question...he did exactly what he wanted to do and we don't have to wonder if he got to do what he really wanted to do.
We all have things that we "like" and that we "don't like" to believe about Jesus, about God and about the scriptures...but that has little to do with anything! and in fact begins to revert to what I believe the true and one original sin is....Us wanting to be God...but we are not.
I love this challenge...."God created us in His image and we are beginning to return the favor."
Aram, I read your blog for 2 hours last night from 2:00 AM to 4:00 AM and could not sleep after that... you are venturing outside the bounds of the scriptures...and I fear beginning to create God in your image...or at least the image that you like. To borrow an idea from our current president..."that is beyond your pay grade"...it is beyond any of our pay grades....
I want you to know that Blogging would not have been my choice on how do dialogue on these issues...but it seems to be meaningful to you so I am trying to do it your way...my hope and belief is that I am honoring you in writing on your blog...if I have mistaken, please forgive me and tell me anyway and any format that this dialogue can continue.
I love you dearly...but disagree with you strongly.
Steve
Well, I just read your "Columns" post and LOVED it. I am the dude that Aram is describing and I love the way you broke this down...I also need to add that the mulch work itself was also very fun.
ReplyDeleteI would say...being a good 10 years...OK..20+ years beyond you is that one of my frustrations is being solidly categorized in one category or another. I have had coffee with people who it is obvious are simply trying to decide where to categorize me in one camp or the other. For instance, I am categorized as a solid Republican, I am told that all the time...but I am actually only partly republican, finding it the best of two bad options when I am faced with making social a fiscal decisions...i HATE many of the things the Republicans stand for and the way they stand for them...same for many Democrats.
I find myself arguing equally passionately with the person who makes the statement about Brian Mclaren's book "The Secret message of Jesus" or "Generous Orthodoxy" calling them "ridiculous and all nonsense"... AND with the person that truly believes that McClaren actually discovered a Secret Message of Jesus and does not see many of the falacies and weaknesses of the Emergent movement.
I am far right to some, but far too liberal for the far right...and as a matter of fact have a hard time identifying who the far right is...where does it start? Simply a belief in the Bible makes you too far right for many...so maybe I am far right.
My point is that I believe your columns are immensely helpful and mostly accurate...and I believe your assertion that we have a bent one way or the other but in truth I believe there is middle ground that can be found and I would like for more people to ask me, rather than assume they already know, they might be suprised. I believe that I can enjoy both the journey AND the destination...and I believe that you can as well...but only if we are willing to identify our "bent" surround ourselves from others with the different "bent", value them and learn from them...we do not change, but we DO GROW!
but then I believe you can be both a Calvinist and Arminian too...so that probably discredits me all together :)
...and my horrible spelling even more.
Blessings brother, I love your writing!
I partly agree with Steve that you are "venturing outside," but I LOVE it. Thanks for letting me follow you a bit and hopefully our paths will cross again soon. Thanks Aram!
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