Let there be light! That’s what God said when he first created the world. But did you know, he also said it about us in Ephesians 5:8?
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.
So what does this mean? Does it mean live as if you’re a famous rock star and all the world’s a stage with the spot light on you? Of course not; you already know this.
If you’re Christian, you already know just how dark, how shameful, how sinfulyou perhaps once were, or currently struggle with, or have the capacity to be. That’s because our flesh wants what it wants. We want control. We want things, people, power or influence. It’s the underlying motive beneath all our wants that determines whether we are walking as children of the light or darkness.
I snapped this pic of Bono at the 2nd of only three concerts I’ve ever seen him. He was so close and yet….so far away. It was taken with an ordinary point and shoot camera at just the right moment, a split second of perfect timing. It almost seems like heaven’s light is shining down.
But I know the truth. Bono is only a man. Nothing more; nothing less. He has made references before that he doesn’t feel comfortable if fans (strangers to him!) see him as a Messiah. He’s clearly not. Yet, he does carry a certain light, or at least seems to be perceived that way by tens (hundreds?) of thousands of U2 fans, and maybe even some people that aren’t even big fans of U2’s music.
That’s because of his heart. If you follow news about him then you know what he’s done to shine a light on Africa, and how he’s been instrumental in trying to reduce and eliminate hunger, poverty, political corruption, and the hopelessness these things cause. You know he’s worked with world leaders in the political arena to bring attention and change to a silent suffering. He’s used his rock star status to influence and to be a beacon of light—to bring attention to, hope, help, cure, and above all love at a time that clearly God has appointed for him.
He’s not Jesus. But he gets it when it comes to carrying His light. Yet it’s not Bono’s responsibility to carry it alone. He’s a torch bearer. He once sang, that “I’d join the movement, if I found one I could believe in.” We live in a dark world in uncertain times. But in a world of self-indulgent twerkers, endless me-centered and copy-cat celebrities publicly showcasing their life of flashy material excess and simultaneous emptiness, Bono has been singing for quite some time to the beat of a different tune:
A higher frequency. This unmistakable calling of light. The example of a love in action, not merely words spoken or sung. He doesn’t just sing to us. U2’s lyrics challenge us. (“Am I buggin you? I don’t mean to bug ya!”) Kind of like Jesus. How are you going to step out today knowing what you know of the world’s pockets of suffering? Will you turn away in apathy? Or will you reach out in faith willing to risk your reputation or security? Are you brave enough to show goodness, kindness, compassion, or mercy today to someone you don’t know or is hard to love?
Truth has a way of showing us which direction we’re going to walk in life. The incredible light that is ours simply by receiving. This incredible gift of love that is ours to multiply simply by giving it all away.
God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say thank you? ” — William Arthur Ward
I saw this caption in a travel magazine promoting tourism of the country of Turkey. I saw it and immediately thought: I wish that was my original idea!
It’s not. But the practice of the concept can be an original idea for you, for me, for all of us, starting now: This very moment.
Stop multi-tasking for a second as you read this. Think about this deeply. Look around. Are you inside or outside? If you are inside, where are you? At home? At work? On a mobile device in the great outdoors? Take a panoramic mental snapshot of what’s around you: Architecture, mementos, photographs, nature, security, landscapes, gifts, birds, business, people, stars, flowers, insects, sky, sunrise, clouds–signs of life abounds everywhere. When you look at the world, what is it that you see?
Do you see beauty? Do you see what God has created? Even if it’s man made, did not God put the original idea, the skill set to craft, the desire to create, first in the mind of you or someone who thought I’m going to build this amazing bridge or paint this amazing portrait or mix compounds in a new way and create a cure.
We live in a distracted world. For sure, we have inherited a problematic world that multiplies daily in terms of crisis and depth of despair. The news sucks, people everywhere around us are sick and dying, we are overworked, underpaid, overstressed, and undernourished in every way—spiritually, physically, and emotionally. We are slaves to too much technology. We can’t keep up with our own self, much less anyone else.
How do you turn it off? How do you silence all the chaos that surrounds you and ensuing drama in your head? What is it that works for you? Do you have something?
Supportive Friends
Faith
Prayers
Hope
Music
Art
Love of or for someone other than you
I hope you have one, two, or even all of the above!
We can’t always change our circumstance in life. That means there is only one thing we can change:
Our Perspective
I don’t know about you, but when I look at the world, this is what I see:
Flowers, character lines on old faces, color, deliciousness, babies, painting, design, patterns, solutions, craft work, words, kindness, goodness, feats of wonder, sculptures, melody, truth, beauty…….
On and on it goes.
Sometimes I complain, believe me I do! But with faith and daily prayers, good friends who hold me accountable to truth I can live by, the symphony of music, and an attitude that is growing a little more each day in gratitude, I am discovering that God’s love for me is bigger than any problem or emotion. I still don’t measure up to my ideal version of myself, but knowing God loves me despite my flaws (many) and forgives me despite my guilt (much) frees me from self-condemnation while at the same time humbles me that He still has even more blessing in store for me.
Faith as a belief is an essential partnership with God which allows you to focus less on you, more on God, less on circumstance, and more on acceptance of what is. We can ride the wave, go with the flow, and bend like a willow tree.Faith as a practice is not about appearing or trying to be perfect or fit a stereotype, but to be the real you as God intended in order to be at peace.Quirky, funny, emotional, deep, driven, ridiculous…..whatever it is, just be YOU so you can get past all that and start tending to the needs of others.
May you step out today in courage and stop fighting that which you can’t control, start changing anything about yourself that you can and know you should, and may you have enough heart to look around and see beauty…..everywhere. This is the confirmation that God sets in each of our hearts that whispersyou too are loved.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” Epicurus
“In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.” Elizabeth Gilbert – “Eat, Pray, Love”
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” A.A. Milne – “Winnie the Pooh”
Once upon a time, I was subject to all sorts of stress and chaos. That’s because for many years I was under the dominion of feelings, rather than acceptance of reality.That’s not to say that feelings aren’t real or don’t count; they do. I’m just saying it can’t be what guides you.
Thankfully wisdom eventually comes the longer one lives. So when I saw these rocks at a gift shop recently, and knowing nothing is a coincidence, a vision of truth settled over me. It was as if a 12 step program (okay fourteen, but who’s counting?) for our emotions was suddenly available in summary form. I thanked God for the instant wisdom and beauty He had provided. So when you’re down and out, start by taking baby steps towards the power generated in just a few words worthy of being carved on rocks. Meditate on them and then implement these action-steps and you will begin to leave drama behind and move towards peace, joy, and positive decisiveness. Love is a decision, so take the steps necessary to love your life!
Breathe – Before you lash out or make a decision based on how you feel right now, just breathe. It sounds simple, but it can be elusive when you’re hyperventilating on anger or extreme sadness. Stop! Get grounded. Take a step back. And just breathe.
Change – There are only two things you can change in life: Your situation or your response. It’s that simple. If you can change your situation, by all means do. Dump that toxic relationship, go back to school, decide to get out of debt, get rid of that which is holding you back, apply for that job you don’t think you’re qualified for anyway, go ahead and write that book you’ve been contemplating.
But what about the boss who chewed you out? The spouse who abandoned you? The grown child who never calls you? And every other situation under the sun that falls under the category “unfair”? There is only one thing you can do. Change your attitude or response. Besides you have to. Why let what you can’t control destroy your well-being and sense of peace? Acceptance of others and their flaws sets you free. Putting up boundaries by saying, “I can’t talk to you until you calm down” or “I won’t allow you to speak to me like that” and then leaving a heated situation, shows that you are in control of your life and that you respect yourself to not allow others to disrespect you. Remember you don’t have to be right all the time or have to convince others. The goal is to be at peace!
Choice – My favorite advice on choice is this: Choose your suffering. Essentially that means don’t waste your suffering. The Bible even states that “in this world, you will have trouble.” And that is no lie! You don’t get to the end without experiencing tragedy, abandonment, loss, hurt, sadness, anger, and unfairness. Kind of like change, you have to make a decision. Are you going to let that which you can’t control destroy you, or rest as the rock foundation that you build your testimony on, and become a source of inspiration to others, and even yourself. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. Tap into that strength.
Courage – Dare to face the horrible truths in your life that you’d rather not: You have a problem. Deal with it. Get help when necessary. Tap into your faith. Call on your friends. Don’t go through the hard stuff alone. As you get rid of toxic relationships outside of yourself, you’ll find it’s time once and for all to deal with the habits and hang-ups that keep you from reaching your full potential: Insecurities, lack of confidence, bad or destructive habits, or fear of failure. Attack each of these self-destroyers with all the tools in your toolbox: Faith, family, friends, and above all a willingness to change. Each step you take in the direction of courage builds momentum making each subsequent step a little bit easier than the one before.
Dance – Put on the jamz and pump up the volume. Life is too short to purposely not do things that can bring you happiness and joy. Why settle for ho-hum washing the dishes and vacuuming the house when you can crank up your favorite music and dance the night away as you work! As long as your multitasking, at least do it with joy. Throw off those shoes and dance. Grab a partner and surprise them with the joy of dance.
Dream – Never give up your dreams. Never! What is that thing you’ve always longed to accomplish? Write a song? Start a new career in a totally different field? Lose thirty pounds? Then be like a Nike ad and just do it!Start today! You have to start sometime. Don’t let excuses or lack of time be your reason why you didn’t fulfill your dreams. A little today is better than none tomorrow and the day after that. Slow progression is the key towards long-term results. The key is to act with intent on your dreams.
Heal – What is it you need in order to heal? Professional help? Spiritual guidance? The compassion of a friend? Then seek it and don’t be ashamed. Perhaps you just need time. That’s okay too. Time doesn’t necessarily heal all wounds, but it allows us time to get our head together and weave that which hurt us into the fabric of our being, so that we can step out in courage anyway. You wouldn’t let an infection on your skin fester and get worse. It’s essential that which troubles your heart or your mind be healed as well. Don’t let pride stop you from getting the healing you need.
Laugh – Go ahead; lighten up! Laugh at your mistakes, it’s okay. Don’t be wound so tight, you can’t allow yourself to be human. Go to a funny movie with a friend! It’s good therapy. Become mindful of joy and learn to laugh. Laugh lines are more attractive than worry lines anyway!
Organize– Get rid of excess. Everyday pick a room, a drawer, a box to organize. Stop buying that which you don’t need. Put things away as you use them. Remember that it’s more fun to do and to bein life than it is to have. Excess of things don’t make us happy; relationships do. We don’t get to take our things with us. The only commodity we truly have in life is time. Time to enjoy our life, but more importantly time to make a difference in the lives of others. When you are organized, you have more time to see friends, volunteer, and get out in God’s beautiful world and enjoy all there is to see and do.
Play – You work hard. Don’t deny yourself this essential ingredient in life. Get a hobby. Play a sport. Play with your kids and your pets every day if you have them. When you play, you’re apt to laugh and that is good medicine for the soul. Definitely find ways to play!
Relax – Similar to just breathe, this is the mechanism you need to calm your soul and soothe your spirit. It sounds easy, but how many times do we deny ourselves the opportunity to just relax because everything else seems essential? Reading a good book or watching a great movie or just taking a nap on a Saturday afternoon can totally change our perspective when we’re stressed. If you never have time to relax, than go back to organize. What things, commitments, or excess people do you need to purge in order to enjoy the necessary stepping stone of relaxation?
Remember – Remember others who are suffering and you can be a blessing to. Remember the good things in life that God has blessed you with and choose to save some of them. Take pictures of the good things. Make a family scrapbook. Have a treasure trunk where you keep mementoes of happy events. Remembering that which brings us joy and leaving behind that which causes us pain is a great way to have a fulfilling and joyous life.
Rest – We can’t organize, relax, remember, play, work, heal, dance, laugh, make necessary changes, or even dream if we don’t first get enough rest. We were designed to rest for a reason. When we allow our mind and body to recharge, we are taking the first step to complete all the others. Get on a schedule and get the rest you need.
Teach – Teach others life lessons you’ve learned so far. Mentoring others is a great way to make a difference. Also be willing to be taught. Having a teachable spirit is also a key to wisdom. Try not to take all advice, even when unsolicited, as a means to control you, but perhaps as a kernel of truth worth mining. Having a teachable attitude means accepting that we don’t necessarily know everything. And that’s okay.
Okay, so that’s 14 stepping stones to lead you to a better life. But there is one that was left out intentionally. All these stones, pale in comparison to the solid rock foundation they rest upon:
Faith – The people I’ve known in life that have it the most together mentally, physically, financially, and spiritually have a deep faith that is the bedrock upon which all else is built. Having faith means you personally don’t have to have all the answers or be in control. That’s because when God is in control, someone bigger than you is in charge. You don’t have to know everything or be responsible for every outcome. Faith steps in when people step out. Faith is believing in someone or something bigger than yourself. Faith is prayer. Faith is active. Faith is forgiving. Faith allows us to love. Faith is a conduit to all that is good in life. Faith is more than a positive attitude, it is an assurance of things hoped for and not yet seen. Sharpen your faith, and live the good life.
How do you see the world? As a place of never-ending beauty? As a creation of someone or something so magnificent it defies words? Is it a place of stark reality where evil lurks and people can be so cruel, you question the very existence of God because of the dark rivers coursing through our hearts?
The old cliché of, “Do you see the glass as half empty or do you see it as half full?” seems to be a relevant question today in our world as we hurl towards the point of singularity, blending man’s technology with our humanity. We’re racing towards the future as we simultaneously entangle man’s evil desires with man’s good intentions to the point with every new technology. We’re speeding to a place where lines of morality become so blurred, we find it hard to even define, harder still to recognize that which is good and that which is evil. All the while, our racing thoughts and fears, and living life at breakneck speed trying to keep up with technology blind us to the beauty that eternally surrounds us.
If I plug into media, I can get worked up pretty quickly about all that ails the world. WARNING, WARNING—RED ALERT!! I cry out in futility on Facebook, to the people in my family, to friends who’ll feign interest. I get worked up over political issues and global issues that I totally have no control of, short of a prayer, and save possibly an occasional vote.
Diversity is so IN these days. Our diversity of culture, lifestyle, and ethnicity is easy to celebrate. But diversity of thought? Religion? Belief system? Well, that’s a different matter. It’s hard to accept others when their belief systems threaten ours, is perceived as evil, or is just plain misunderstood. We rally for equality and fairness, and yet how can we have either, when we are individually created, complete with independent free will to choose our thoughts and destiny. We want the world to just get along and live in harmony—as long as it’s our perception of harmony. Believe as I believe we want to shout from the mountain tops.
We can’t. I know this to be true just from living in my own family. I want others to be affected by beauty, by poetry, by music, by nature to the degree that I am affected. I want them to see the things that can bring me to my knees. Maybe someday. Not yet. We are not on the same page. It hurts so much sometimes. We look at the world so differently.
But I anger easily–at injustice, at cruelty, or at anything that threatens my perception of freedom or security for me—or others. I get so worked up and yet the same family members that miss what blows me away in terms of beauty or magnificence, also carry a peace that all will work out as it should. Sometimes they live by a faith undefined better than I do with an absolute clearness of what I believe.
It’s so easy to want others to see the world as we see it. We achieve joy and harmony when others feel like we do, to quote a great Peter Frampton song. Bliss. Yeah. Easier said than done.
Easy in music. Hard in life.
Maybe that’s why God gave us music. Art. Sunrises. Symphonies. Babies. Paintings. The Ocean. Sculpture. Mountains. Dance. Kisses in the rain. Tears. Pain. Joy.
We’re like puzzle pieces that interlock, but at only one juncture, not all. But when we find the one place that fits with one another and as we keep fitting the other side of ourselves with others, together we may solve the mystery of a broken people. All of our jagged pieces if assembled properly have the potential to coexist. But only if each individual wants it.
We are one. We are not the same. Definitely, not the same! Can you show some love today to someone not like you? Despite what drives you crazy about their beliefs? Despite their apathy? Despite their differences? Are you courageous enough to attempt coexistence? Even if you have to go first?
Is your faith so fragile you can’t tolerate that others choose differently?
Is your love conditional and limiting, or is it found in a freedom which renders it limitless?
Happy New Year friends! I hope your 2013 is off to a good start. New Year’s is always the time when we reflect on our past year, size it up, and vow to make changes in our life. Perhaps we’ll try to improve our fortune or lot in life or alter our appearance. Maybe we go for the real heavy lifting and try to repair or improve our character, or perhaps just our perspective.
Maybe you too have written your resolution(s) on paper with measurable objective goals such as losing ten pounds by a certain date, or make partner at the firm this year, or finish the book you are writing, or train for and run a marathon before year’s end. Perhaps you’ve sworn off making resolutions, so this time next year you won’t need to remember what you didn’t achieve that which you set out to. You won’t have to be disappointed by the critic who resides in your head.
I find myself in both categories. I do intend to make certain changes each year. I even write some goals down. But by year’s end I am often hard-pressed to find the original list of goals. That’s because I’m a revisionist. Perhaps a bit flighty. Scattered. Changeable. Distractible. Priorities shift in my life seemingly the way the wind changes direction.
What do you wish for, just for you? Seriously, what is it that you most want to do different in your life, or attract towards your life? Someone? Something? Do you want more or less of the status quo? Do you want to do something radically different? Do you want to savor and hold on to your security and/or contentment? If you were given only one more year, how would you live?
When one thinks of the sad news of this year such as the massacres of innocent children and people in both Connecticut and Colorado, it doesn’t take long to realize we walk but a thin thread.Our lives are not only precious, they are sacred. Who’s to say when our last day will be? Only God knows.
I generally tend to focus on the positive in life, but that’s not to say I never complain. I certainly do. I make lots of intention lists and to do lists, and succeed much more on daily tasks then I do in general life goals. If I could resolve to do one thing, it would be simply this: To bridge the gap between what I INTEND to do, with what I ACTUALLY do
So this year, my goal is to live life more IN FOCUS. Focus on INTENTION with INTENSITY until it becomes ACTUAL REALITY!
It’s not enough for me to say I want to bring a meal to someone soon; I NEED TO DO IT.
It’s no longer acceptable for me to say, I hope to get to the gym soon; I NEED TO DO IT.
I can’t complain about that which I don’t agree with in the world, I must speak, write, act—I NEED TO DO IT!
I mustn’t just say I’m grateful for so much that I have been blessed with, I NEED TO LIVE MY LIFE as a response, a testimony or an exclamation mark if you will, that life is good, God is good, and TRUTH and LOVE are the antidote to all that is wrong in the world. TRUTH spoken in LOVE and LOVE SPOKEN TRULY can bridge what is divided in two, or hundreds of thousands for that matter, and be united into one. One love.
One. We are one, but we are not the same. Can we all find common ground in our humanity, our faith, our music, our beliefs, and our heart’s desire to become more selfless and less selfish? Can we learn to seek ways to cherish and nurture life, rather than injure and destroy it, starting with the words you say?
FOCUS. INTENTION. LOVE.
Love is a temple. Love the higher law. And this is a sacred honor:We get to carry each other.
Who will you lift up? Whose burdens will you shoulder? What risks will you take as you pour love from your heart?
It’s New Year’s Day. I will begin again. What say you?
May you too resolve to be all that God designed you to be this year. Happy New Year!
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
The following exchange between Bono and Assayas took place just days after the Madrid train bombings in March 2004, an act of terrorism that left 191 dead and more than 1,800 wounded. The two men were discussing how terrorism is often carried out in the name of religion when Bono turned the conversation to Christianity, expressing his preference for God’s grace over “karma,” offering an articulate apologetic for the deity of Christ, and giving a clear presentation of the gospel message.
Bono: My understanding of the Scriptures has been made simple by the person of Christ. Christ teaches that God is love. What does that mean? What it means for me: a study of the life of Christ. Love here describes itself as a child born in straw poverty, the most vulnerable situation of all, without honor. I don’t let my religious world get too complicated. I just kind of go: Well, I think I know what God is. God is love, and as much as I respond [sighs] in allowing myself to be transformed by that love and acting in that love, that’s my religion. Where things get complicated for me, is when I try to live this love. Now that’s not so easy.
Assayas: What about the God of the Old Testament? He wasn’t so “peace and love”?
Bono There’s nothing hippie about my picture of Christ. The Gospels paint a picture of a very demanding, sometimes divisive love, but love it is. I accept the Old Testament as more of an action movie: blood, car chases, evacuations, a lot of special effects, seas dividing, mass murder, adultery. The children of God are running amok, wayward. Maybe that’s why they’re so relatable. But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that the God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you’re a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross.
Assayas: Speaking of bloody action movies, we were talking about South and Central America last time. The Jesuit priests arrived there with the gospel in one hand and a rifle in the other.
Bono I know, I know. Religion can be the enemy of God. It’s often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. [laughs] A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship. Why are you chuckling?
Assayas: I was wondering if you said all of that to the Pope the day you met him.
Bono Let’s not get too hard on the Holy Roman Church here. The Church has its problems, but the older I get, the more comfort I find there. The physical experience of being in a crowd of largely humble people, heads bowed, murmuring prayers, stories told in stained-glass windows …
Assayas: So you won’t be critical.
Bono No, I can be critical, especially on the topic of contraception. But when I meet someone like Sister Benedicta and see her work with AIDS orphans in Addis Ababa, or Sister Ann doing the same in Malawi, or Father Jack Fenukan and his group Concern all over Africa, when I meet priests and nuns tending to the sick and the poor and giving up much easier lives to do so, I surrender a little easier.
Assayas: But you met the man himself. Was it a great experience?
Bono … We all knew why we were there. The Pontiff was about to make an important statement about the inhumanity and injustice of poor countries spending so much of their national income paying back old loans to rich countries. Serious business. He was fighting hard against his Parkinson’s. It was clearly an act of will for him to be there. I was oddly moved … by his humility, and then by the incredible speech he made, even if it was in whispers. During the preamble, he seemed to be staring at me. I wondered. Was it the fact that I was wearing my blue fly-shades? So I took them off in case I was causing some offense. When I was introduced to him, he was still staring at them. He kept looking at them in my hand, so I offered them to him as a gift in return for the rosary he had just given me.
Assayas: Didn’t he put them on?
Bono Not only did he put them on, he smiled the wickedest grin you could ever imagine. He was a comedian. His sense of humor was completely intact. Flashbulbs popped, and I thought: “Wow! The Drop the Debt campaign will have the Pope in my glasses on the front page of every newspaper.”
Assayas: I don’t remember seeing that photograph anywhere, though.
Bono Nor did we. It seems his courtiers did not have the same sense of humor. Fair enough. I guess they could see the T-shirts.
Later in the conversation:
Assayas: I think I am beginning to understand religion because I have started acting and thinking like a father. What do you make of that?
Bono: Yes, I think that’s normal. It’s a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.
Assayas: I haven’t heard you talk about that.
Bono I really believe we’ve moved out of the realm of Karma into one of Grace.
Assayas: Well, that doesn’t make it clearer for me.
Bono You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It’s clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I’m absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that “as you reap, so you will sow” stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff.
Assayas: I’d be interested to hear that.
Assayas: The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that.
Bono But I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there’s a mortality as part of your very sinful nature, and, let’s face it, you’re not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That’s the point. It should keep us humbled… . It’s not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.
Assayas: That’s a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it’s close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has his rank among the world’s great thinkers. But Son of God, isn’t that farfetched?
Bono No, it’s not farfetched to me. Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn’t allow you that. He doesn’t let you off that hook. Christ says: No. I’m not saying I’m a teacher, don’t call me teacher. I’m not saying I’m a prophet. I’m saying: “I’m the Messiah.” I’m saying: “I am God incarnate.” And people say: No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet, we can take. You’re a bit eccentric. We’ve had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don’t mention the “M” word! Because, you know, we’re gonna have to crucify you. And he goes: No, no. I know you’re expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and says: Oh, my God, he’s gonna keep saying this. So what you’re left with is: either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. I mean, we’re talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we’ve been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had “King of the Jews” on his head, and, as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going: OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it. I’m not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that’s farfetched …
Bono later says it all comes down to how we regard Jesus:
Bono: …If only we could be a bit more like Him, the world would be transformed. …When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my s— and everybody else’s. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that’s the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it.
Bono That’s between me and God. But I’d be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I’d be in deep s—. It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out for Grace. I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity.
(Note: While the book includes numerous passages of Bono discussing his Christian faith, it also includes occasional salty language from both parties.)
Liz’s Note: 11/19/12 — Hoping to post an original writing soon, but with so much unrest in the world these days, it’s inspiring to know we have an alternative to chaos in our life: Grace. May you find yours today!
It happened. That thing you hoped wouldn’t. You know, that thing you had no control of.
In writing and in life, I keep coming back to this theme: We are not in control.
Words are flowing out like
endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass
They slip away across the universe
First the tears fall down your cheeks. Tiny pools of sorrow dampen the floor.
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
are drifting thorough my open mind
Possessing and caressing me
There was nothing more you could do. You did your part. You did all you could. The rest is up to God. You still believe God, don’t you? Yes? Good. Then there is no problem here.
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Still, it’s not fair! Your spirit rebels. I’ve got this, my child. It’s not right. You cry out because you’re hurting. I’ve got this. Let it go. Do you trust me?
So you cry. You cry until you feel dry. There are no more words left to say. This was never about you and what you wanted. It falls under the category Higher Purposes. My ways are higher than your ways you recall. My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.
Truth seeps in. Doubts sit down for a while. Cracks of light break through your tears given sufficient time to fall. Your heart fell into darkness momentarily, but the light is slipping in and the dark is being forced to flee.
Images of broken light which
dance before me like a million eyes
That call me on and on across the universe
I’m not sure I understand this at all God. You don’t have to. You just have to let go and trust me.
Thoughts meander like a
restless wind inside a letter box
they tumble blindly as
they make their way across the universe
I can’t think this one through. I can’t find the reason to this one question: Why?
You don’t have to have all the answers if you trust in Me.
Fine then. I’m trusting You! I’m stepping out in faith. I’m leaving the comfort of my sorrows.
Choose to be joyful. Be grateful. Be a light to others.
Sounds of laughter shades of life
are ringing through my open ears
exciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which
shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe
Several increments of time later: You’re right. I think I’m going to make it. Even with scars, I’m going to be okay.
Indeed you will my child; indeed you will.
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Something’s gonna change my world
Lyrics to “Across the Universe” (center text) – The Beatles
There’s crack in everything; that’s how the light get in. – Leonard Cohen
“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.” – Madeleine L’Engle
What is it about a beach sunrise that trumps a regular sunrise? Yesterday morning I had my feet propped up on a deck rail, a warm coffee in my hand, two sweet dogs laying by my side, and watching the ocean on the horizon.
Such sweet relief! Our souls often feel weathered due to the storms we’re forced to endure. We learn:
Change is the only constant we navigate by
Waves continuously change and crash, but the sea and the mysterious laws that govern it are eternally constant. I sat there vaguely pondering this, but mostly I was trance like in a state of non-thought.
Then my dear friend of twenty years came out with a plate of delicious fresh garden tomatoes grown with the help of her hands and love for gardening. We sipped our coffee as we watched the sea. “Look!” she said. “Dolphins!” A pair of dolphins were swimming just past the waves’ breaking point parallel to the shore line.
I rarely stay at such quiet beaches, so I had yet to see dolphins at sunrise. I’ve hoped for it on many trips, but never got to see them with my own eyes–until yesterday.
It’s real, I thought. I never saw dolphins swim at sunrise before, not because they didn’t exist or I wasn’t looking hard enough, but because it wasn’t my time to see. Prayers are answered in God’s time, not ours.
There is nothing like the ocean that seems to settle our faith and our doubts between the temporary and the eternal like watching the ocean for an extended period of time. Our soul is soothed as we watch the ocean free from life’s pressures, distractions, noise, and rampant thoughts that compete for our attention. Ah, to just watch the ocean with a truly open mind, and without awareness of time passing.
See God has planted the seed of eternity in every man’s heart. It’s hard not to love the sea whose every breaking wave crashes onto shore, only to return softly back to itself. From a distance it’s so beautiful. But if you are standing at the waves’ breaking point, all you hear is loudness and feel its fury. You certainly feel the power if you attempt to stand there. Fixing your feet here is impossible. But a few yards ahead or behind the breaking point, all is calm.
Our lives are exactly like that. The storms come. The circumstances come in bulk and threaten to pull us under. We are standing at the breaking point where it’s loud, and we’re unsteady on our feet. We see the shore and we see the horizon, but in the midst of the breaking point’s fury, we can’t seem to move further out to sea or return to shore.
Yes, viewing the ocean from the distance of being across the street, I had a wider and quieter view then when lying on the sand only a few feet from where the tide comes in. I look at the sea from this distance and feel nothing but peace from the top of my head to the tips of my toes still sugared in bits of yesterday’s sand. All is well with the world—or at least, in this moment, in mine.
Yet I know this same sea has blanketed fury on coastal cities in time past. It’s destroyed property and taken lives. Untold thousands have drawn their last breath of air before succumbing to the ocean’s depths. Boats and ships sink. Storms come. People drown. My worst sea nightmare would be of being stranded in a life boat, dying of thirst, yet wondering if I’d be rescued.
Yesterday I watched dolphins swim across the ocean. Somewhere else in the world, in this very same sea, somebody else was on a sinking boat fighting to stay alive. At their moment of peril, did dolphins cease to exist? While I marveled at the magnificence of dolphins, did I not care for the person struggling in the sea just because I didn’t see them or know of it?
Our circumstances, perspectives, beliefs, and geography separate us, yet we are still united in our humanity. When one suffers, humanity suffers even when others are not aware. Thankfully, God sees the big picture of our lives with an ultra-wide angle lens—a perspective we can’t conceive. It is not constrained by width or depth or time. God is able to see both these moments, and every moment and every one.
I want to have and maintain peace like I did yesterday morning. Can we have daily peace, even though there is continual chaos in the world, even in our own lives? If so, how God?
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:5-8
This is one of the hardest and truest bible verses to me. We are told that it is our doubts that blow our lives all around, sometimes to bits! Our circumstances and our emotions toss us in such a way we can’t find True North, we can’t navigate our way home. We get pulled between other peoples’ words to us and expectations of us and our feelings towards it all. We don’t find solutions, because we don’t believe we will.
We get tossed by each event that threatens to overtake us, simply because we’re out of control. We already know that in many circumstances, the control was never ours to possess anyway. Still we fight the Captain of our soul for command of the wheel. Sometimes our own mutiny is the real cause of our undoing.
It’s been said that seeing is believing. But the real truth is believing is seeing.
Would I have believed in dolphins had I never seen them at sunrise yesterday? Of course! I’ve known dozens of people who have already seen them; I’d seen them on TV and pictures. That’s a no-brainer. Everyone knows dolphins exist.
But God? That’s another matter. It can be hard to either believe God exists or that He actually is good or cares for you or the world that you live in. How could God care or be good when there are storms such as wars, disease, famine , poverty, injustice, and cruelty inflicted on living beings that God breathed life into in the first place? Are those people or creatures less valuable to God then we are? Of course not! Then why?
WHY is the question we don’t have the luxury of asking. When we do, our brain is limited in the answers it provides. We can’t find rationale for pain or unfairness; our limited explanations don’t satisfy. That dissatisfaction breeds doubt, and the cycle of being tossed about commences.
WHY is the universal question whose answer is like the sea. It rises up, and then rolls back out. We think we almost know sometimes; we think we have our lives figured out. Then the storms come.
We have to trust in our faith that assures WHO, and not the knowledge that seeks to explain WHY. Don’t allow waves of doubt to take your truth back to sea.
Man tries to explain his life and events, and the most brilliant, pedigreed people still fail miserably. Life is a mystery. The question is can you be at peace and NOT have answers sometimes?
I hope so. That’s faith—being comfortable in not knowing the outcome or why. If we can choose to live our lives as mirrors, so that our words and deeds reflect light and love, rather than a telescope that tries to see and explain time and circumstance—that’s vision. If we can choose to love God and believe he exists, even though life isn’t fair, that’s true freedom. Doing these things diminishes doubts, until they eventually die.
We don’t get to choose the location, timing, or severity of our storms. We only can decide on who is in charge of our ship that sails over every breaking wave. Choose well so that you can navigate safely.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
Every breaking wave
On the shore
Tells the next one there’ll be one more
I don’t know if I’m that strong
I don’t know if I’m that strong
Don’t know if I’m that strong
To be somebody
To need someone……….
……..The waves know
We’re on the rocks
Drowning is no sin
You know
That my heart
Is the same place yours has been
Today I woke up and realized something profound: These days, I’m living:
All over the map!
Life seems to be a continuous itinerary of places to go, chores to accomplish, jobs to do, and people to interact with. Yet, is there joy here?
Today I am blessed yet again to not have to work my my “real” job. I work P/T and set my own schedule. Still, my daughter has a friend over, then works until late this evening. My six year old is about to wake up and will want to play and be entertained. I am making a dinner to take to a neighbor who just had a baby. My mother in law is coming to eat dinner with us for her birthday, but hopefully my daughter will be making that dinner. She’s a fantastic cook, better than me! The house is a wreck. There is a tornado of papers all over my office. I owe people letters, replies, and need to follow up on work and personal commitments. I need to call relatives I’ve lost touch with. I need to clean the crud off the bathroom mirror for Pete’s sake!
Where to start? What to do? I know! First, I’ll write. It doesn’t have to be good. It just needs to happen. Plug into My joy first I hear my soul whisper to me. It will all come together, somehow. It always does. Let go (not reduce) your expectations. Just let it go!
I am learning how to write, and in so doing, I am learning how to let go. I am learning in order to follow my dreams a few side effects are going to result:
The house will be messier (than it already was)
Others will have to step up (thanks daughter for making so many dinners)
People will need to be patient! (Citibank, Water Company–the check really is in the mail, just as soon as I have time)
I need to pray more, not less. (God, PLEASE help order my day. There is so much I want to do, but now I’ve added something huge: I’ve got so much I want to say!)
I need to be patient. (Good things really do come to those who wait and above all leave the results to God! This is not the time to quit, give up, or demand results from others or from God. The gift is to go with the flow!)
The last item is the hardest. I am a “list” person. Scraps of paper numbered in priority have always dominated my life. Do this. Pay that. Call her. Explain to him. Complete every errand. Spend “quality and focused time” with my son. That one I sometimes feel I fail at miserably.
But today, I choose not to beat myself up. I choose not to give up. I choose to be joyful and to be an encouragement to anyone around me. I choose to see distractions as divine appointments. Most of all I say a prayer that God give me love today.
Please give me love to season the food with. Please give me love to speak with. And certainly love to set the house as a warm and welcoming place for friends and family, especially my own to reside. Give me hands to do; yet let me use them by reaching out and doing things in the spirit of love, not in the spirit of “I have to do these 3,687 things or I’m falling down on the job as a mom/wife/daughter/friend.”
Let me bask in love and let me be love reflected.
Praying today if you’re addicted to doing, you can simply be. If you are addicted to anything, that U2 (you too!) can let it go.Just let it go! You too are loved!! U2areloved
This desperation
Dislocation
Separation
Condemnation
Revelation
In temptation
Isolation
Desolation
Let it go
And so fade away
To let it go
And so fade away
To let it go
And so to fade away
“Bad” – U2
Trust is letting go of needing to know all the details before you open your heart.
Sometimes we get lost because it’s so easy. We skip from one distraction to the next and in so doing we lose sight of The Big Picture of our life. We are without compass and have lost our sense of direction. We rarely have a moment of quiet or peace. All we really want is to find our way home.
I can remember when I was a very young child being lost in the woods. Or at least I felt like I was lost. I was at the total mercy of my father to return me safely to civilization, my known world. He did, thankfully. By middle school I participated in Girl Scouts and enjoyed my first camping trips without parents.
I learned to use a compass by day, but at night we hunkered down in our tents or shelters. We never once explored the deep dark woods at night. However, when I was trying to fall asleep outside under a full moon with crickets chirping all around, and strange movements that could be detected close by, I was more than a little tempted to explore on my own, though my better judgment always kicked in. We were young girls after all, alone yet together, with den leaders who also were young women–just a slightly more grown up version of ourselves.
It seems I was have always been hungry for adventure, and generally one to travel with relatively little fear “for a woman” some might say. But I didn’t know then, what I do now.
Sometime between childhood and adulthood, I learned I had better always be able to find “True North”. Even “True North” is of limited use, if you are not sure of your arrival destination.
Today we are literally surrounded by a 24/7 onslaught of endless digital media, our old friends the TV and radio, and of course advertising everywhere you turn! We go out shopping and we sometimes can’t even clarify our own thinking, save for the monitors at the end of every aisle subliminally reprogramming our decision making process over which products to consume. Go online; it’s way worse!
Our daily travels and errands are constantly bombarded with noise, images, music, sound effects, giant paper billboards, and flashing neon and enormous LED displays that have fourteen different crawls scrolling across. Times Square makes the Zoo TV Tour look like it was little more than a stationary backdrop. We get to and from our intended destinations, but we miss 99% of the journey.
We are direction-less wanderers. We’re always in motion, but seem clueless as to where we are actually going. We are in this space and time but for an infitesimally small fraction of eternity.
U2 was ahead of its time twenty years ago, because their tour foreshadowed the continuous wallpaper advertising and multi-media distractions that we’ve since incorporated as daily routine. For a concert, it was amazing entertainment! Now, we seem to live in a state of constant distraction with random or no focus, and no sense of where home (where our heart truly resides). It’s just too much!
How many of us leave the house with one or more TVs just on? Perhaps you fall asleep to the lull of “comfort noise”– the conversations of people both real and fictional characters, none of whom know or care for you and vice versa. We interact with faces on screens more than faces on people! We’ve silenced our inner voice by a bombardment of noise and lights, and wonder why do we feel so alone?
It’s time to leave it behind! We need to get back to simple. We need to leave our cubicles and get engaged in the beautiful day that is all around you. Unplug from thepod and hear the earth as it actually speaks to you. Feel the variations of the ground beneath your feet. If you’re in the city, I hope you can carve out a regular time to visit somewhere that has tall trees, an absence of concrete, and vast amounts of silence.
Once thoroughly embedded in a night forest, begin traveling my friend. (Bring a buddy of course, safety first!) Look up! Look around! Do you know where you are? Can you find True North?
It’s easy. You’re looking for the North Star. Her real name is Polaris, she’s also known as the Pole Star or Lode Star. She’s not the brightest star in the sky, but she is bright. Here’s how to find her:
Find the big dipper.
Look at the two stars (top and bottom) farthest away from the dipper’s ladle.
The one on the bottom furthest from the Big Dipper’s handle is called Merak–which for some reason makes me think of meerkats! Whatever!
The one on the top furthest from the handle is called Dubhe –go ahead, call it doobie if you’re so inclined!
Anyway—while looking at Dubhe, in your mind draw a line that starts at Merak, continues on to Dubhe, and in the same direction look until you see the top of the handle of the Little Dipper.
The very top star of the Little Dipper is Polaris. Congratulations, you’ve found the North Star!
It’s easier to find Polaris by starting with the identifying the Big Dipper first since the Little Dipper isn’t always easily recognizable in the night sky.
Hopefully, now you know how to find your way home geographically. But what about your heart? Where is home? Who or where is your North Star? I hope you find it. You already know this: In life, there are plenty of black holes, most of them super massive! At the “event horizon” of a black hole, is the point of no return; it’s where the pull of gravity will irrevocably take you down. You can’t escape, even if you are traveling faster than the speed of light. You’re sucked in, stretched thin, and shredded to pieces. Sound like anyone you know?
So find True North. May this be your moment of surrender. You may think I’m not easy on my knees. Look up—do you see what I see? North Star. And may your heart sing A New Song (40) as you journey home.
‘Cause there’s only one light that can guide you
Guide you home, home
Say it, say it, say it, say it
I can’t wait any longer
I can’t wait any longer for your love
u2areloved 