The Love Infusion of the Law

I have thought a lot recently about this concept — God's law and the very nature of the law being love infused. Makes sense right? I mean after all God is Love. And so would not his laws by their very nature be in fact love-infused? And yet, people hate the law, reject the law and feel the law is not only hurtful, but yes, in fact hateful. The Bible says we all have knowledge of God, yet we deny this knowledge and hate Him and have a natural love of sin. I am not sure it is so black and white as that sounds, but I do think it is still a true statement. Most humans might agree on many laws and the inherent goodness in them, like not to murder for example. Then again 6 million Jewish people were killed in concentration camps, so maybe things are more straightforward than we would like to believe. Seems a love of power and pride in that case was far more seductive than what would seem to be the most basic moral virtue.

Christ teaches us so much about the law. One is that he goes out to people in love, mercy and compassion. He goes to the absolute worst transgressors perhaps of the law, not with scorn and condemnation but rather perfect Love. So maybe part of man's difficulty in seeing the good and right in the law, is that these laws can only be fully received and understood through Christ (love and mercy). 

I heard a great section from a Joel Osteen story where he is talking about hanging out with a bunch of youngsters at a certain time with whom he used to play basketball. As he explains it, "they were a rough bunch" — cursing, maybe some of them drugging, who knows exactly — but probably the same types Jesus would have engaged too. He said, "I did not try to tell them, don't do this, don't do that, most people already know what they should not do".  Wow so true, don't we already know on some level what we shouldn't do? Don't we spend enough mental energy beating ourselves up for all the things we should not do? The end of the story is that he just kept showing up, spending time, sowing love and mercy, and bringing his own joy to the games. At some point some of these young people started saying to him, "I want what you have" and so the conversations started. 

Another aspect of the law that Christ illuminates so beautifully for us is the spirit of the law opposed to the letter of the law. The old law said not to heal on the Sabbath, and yet Christ does so, once again in a spirit of mercy and compassion. So we can see how a cold hearted approach to the law with no room for context is limited, and hardened, not in line with the heart of flesh promised by Christ. However, Christ does also say, "I have come to fulfill the law, not to abolish the law" (Matt. 5:17). He is the fulfillment because he is perfect in goodness, without sin. Yet, even he still abides by the law and accepts the will of his Father. 

In my opinion the law, and anything that is considered sin, or an abomination, or perhaps the gentler words of anything that misses the mark of perfection and gets labeled as such, has first and foremost very practical repercussions. Usually with only a small amount of thought it is pretty easy to see or imagine what these could or might be. A priest I know said, "sin is anything that separates you from God or your neighbor".  That also is pretty easy to imagine. So perhaps the law is written very much for this very earthly realm and how it operates under the laws of the fabric of reality, and the fabric of our own beings. Like gravity, whether I believe it is real or not, really becomes irrelevant. When I jump off a cliff all the while denying gravity, I will still plummet to my death. When in this earthly realm we experience difficulties, these difficulties affect us, our minds, our spirits. I believe anything that preoccupies our consciousness to some degree, separates us from God (“Be still and know that I am God” — Psalm 46:10). If we are busy being the judge of our own sin, that can be pretty all-consuming. Maybe this is our call to repentance and our call to Christ: if he can love us and fully accept us in mercy even in the depth of our sin, then why is it so hard for us to love ourselves and others? Maybe God actually understood this about our natures. Being our Creator, it does make sense. Maybe with his laws he is basically saying, "don't go there. Yes, yes, I know you will anyway, come back to me and I will forgive you, but I am telling you, you can't handle it, trust me on this one!"

God sent his son out of Love for us that we might turn to Him. Somewhere in all this, I believe is the key to finding the love infusion of the law. Is it not that our Father knows what is best for us even better than we do? He is calling us to those things for our own well being. He is encouraging a true love relationship with Him. He does so out of love and mercy for our own being, for his creation; and then our genuine need and maybe deepest of fundamental desires, can be satisfied — to be in relationship with Him. To be in loving relationship with that which is greater and more perfect than we, we willingly give up a temporary satisfaction for an enduring peace.

I do think we all do have an understanding in our minds and beings of what perfection is, and to varying degrees we desire that. Perhaps we see God's perfection in the beauty of nature. Maybe the reason we have great admiration for people that achieve very high levels in any given field is because we see something of God in what they are capable of? If we only have love and mercy we will to some extent encourage chaos, destruction and ultimately pain. One only need be a parent to see this play out. We may want to protect our darling from the pain of being told no they can not play in the street, but obviously that would be absurd. If we only approach the world with cold hearted, black and white laws, we have lost our humanity, and any life giving properties that exist in the life force itself. It seems there must be a harmonious marriage of the underlying truth principles of the law, operating through the life-affirming substances of love, mercy and compassion. Maybe this explains the difference in our call to be like children, and yet not actually be children.

God and Facebook

So the other day I decided to chime in on a FB post. I know, probably a bad idea, maybe a very bad idea. We almost all have had the experience of getting "hooked" by a snarky comment or loaded meme. Either we enter into an actual exchange, which often leads nowhere, or we end up having a never-ending conversation in our head. We continue needlessly occupying our mind space and draining our vital energy. Nevertheless, I have since that time removed FB from my phone. Now I only check occasionally, and try to make it a point to not let precious time slip away indefinitely, nor to enter into every "teachable moment" that my ever fixing, helping, wanting-to-illuminate-inner-self desires to share.

This particular post was actually a share of a pro-gay beer add. The person who posted it and her husband often post things which in some manner or another would be considered "Christian bashing", yet they both (I am sure) consider themselves to be thoughtful, caring, socially aware, and willing-to-help kind of people. The husband actually started a company called "Inner city Peace" and although I am not familiar with all the ins and outs of what they do, I do know in their mission is the idea of helping African Americans, presumably in the inner cities. Despite this call

and action to "Peace", I believe they are actually completely blind to the fact that they often spread violence in their energy and words towards those with whom they disagree, namely Christians.

I decided to chime in, primarily because often I have found their posts are so misguided and confused about what being a Christian actually means. They seem to hold some kind of false idea that the moment one sees ultimate truth and saving Grace in Jesus Christ and accepts and embraces that He indeed is the Savior of the world, that somehow they magically become total masters of every aspect of their fallen nature. Fear not though, lest these wretched Christians fall short — they shall indeed be mocked and scorned by the ever more peaceful, intelligent and

enlightened secularists, ready to judge with an iron rod!! Yes the irony is palpable....and a little painful (Forgive them Father, for they know not . . .) I was actually tempted by one of the husband’s posts to begin calling him Saul.

Anyway, the pro gay beer add was accompanied by the very bold post she had written that said: "homosexuality is NOT a sin, Love is love". So I thought I would chime in with a very basic concept of sin. Mainly, the idea is that sin is anything that misses the mark of perfection (God's) of which we All fall short, so that basically every human being is in fact a sinner. The conversation proceeded on and she informed me that she did not believe any of that (which I knew). But my point was—for those that do believe those things—there really is no distinction. I also went on to illuminate that if others are pointing at someone else for their sinful behaviors that they in fact would be walking in their own sin, as we are called to love our neighbors and not judge our neighbors. “None is righteous, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:10)

Then the truth really came out, What she is really upset about is that people actually think there is such a thing as sin (which she believes does not even exist ), and that because they have this belief system they say things like “homosexuality is an abomination", which is in and of itself offensive, hurtful etc.

So we get to the crux of the matter. I let her know firstly that I had been perplexed by her bold statement, because generally the word sin is used to describe things and actions within the context of an objective reality. I will admit, that was not 100% honest, but I was trying to illuminate a broader picture not only of sin itself, but as to how this term is actually used. If you do not even believe that sin exists, and there is in fact no such thing as perfection—ultimate and only good—and take the notion that all of reality is really a subjective interpretation, then to make a bold statement about what is sin and is not might be better left unsaid. I did let her know that I agree, even within the Christian community this is a divided issue and there is a broad spectrum of views and approaches on the subject.

I personally find it a bit amusing that some straight people (such as herself) have such convicted ideas on this issue. I had recently listened to a podcast between two gay men, both Christians who had very different approaches and understandings on this issue. I thought to myself during this exchange with her: does she realize that there actually are gay people that would categorize homosexuality as a sin, and consider it an abomination? Has she ever examined for herself what that might mean, and why it could be categorized in such a way?

And this really brings me to one of the areas that really is of interest. Is there actually an objective fabric to reality, or is it merely subjective. Is there an intelligent being which creates the very structure of reality and that indeed within this structure there is a moral component written into it's very fabric. The Christian says: yes. It seems that people that reject this either in some measure, or completely, do so mainly from a similar line of thinking as this person above with whom I shared my FB exchange. Somehow, some of these rules and ideas are hurtful and cause harm. Somehow man has come up with these ideas and juxtapositioned them onto society and all they do is make life difficult and hurt people.

I fear this approach is all upside down. When understood in proper context the things that are written were not somehow invented and juxtaposed but rather understood or received through revelation. The fabric of reality has been understood and attempts are then made to explain that fabric. One can acknowledge its truth or deny it, but the repercussions of denying that truth will be felt. In other words you might want to honor your emotional reaction to the law, instead of the law itself, but you will reap the repercussions of what that means. “God so loved the world that he gave his Only Son” (John 3:16), so that he could bear the burden of our sinful nature, that we might be born in him. No other sacrifice is necessary, free grace. 

This is a reciprocal relationship. We honor God's commands in a reciprocal relationship: as we honor him, we walk upheld by the very fabric and Intelligence of Being. It may require sacrifice. Jesus sacrificed his being, his physical body and we too are called to take up our cross. We have free will to do so, yet when we do, his burden is easy and his yoke is light. When we deny this unseen world and work against the laws that are written, there will be natural consequences. Not out of a punishing God, but rather by the very nature of his goodness, calling us to his fold. As human beings, the great commandment is to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, and mind and love our neighbors as ourselves. We cannot be in harmony and love our own being if we are in rejection of the very fabric of our existence (made in his image).

In the Eastern Vedic tradition the idea of sacred mantra or sound is that these sounds were imparted to the sages. We see in the Bible revelations. Often these are people in high states of meditation or prayer, who receive information of Truth, ultimate Truth. This is not man imposing ideas on reality, but rather reality revealing itself to man, and man in turn trying to preserve and impart this wisdom through the ages.

One can discuss and debate about what is sin and what is not: If one decides something is a sin, then how does one reconcile that? These are all good questions and discussions, and like most things in life, one must decide where priorities lie. One of the most beautiful things in this podcast with the two gay Christian men, was that although they had taken very different stances on what to do in regards to homosexuality and their work in the church (they were both active in the church, one a pastor) the way they spoke to each other and the words they used were beautiful and uplifting. Over and over I heard: "I honor you", " I respect you”, “we have so much in common”, but....

This is what being a Christian is about, thinking about the objective nature of reality, trying to understand what that means, societally and in our individual lives. We all bear our crosses. We have a free choice to take up that cross, even Christ himself chose to take up the very literal cross of his Father's will. (“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matt. 26:39).

This cross that reaches upward toward that which is good, and perfect, runs through us in vertical relationship with our Father. We are answering His call in as much as we can see and are able to understand from where we are in this very moment. Even in all our brokenness and sin, he waits with open arms and calls us up to Him. Horizontally, our cross reminds us we are reaching out to the world in love and empathy. We are the body of Christ carrying our crosses.

The Blessing and Gift of Jonathan

This Christmas season has come and gone. We rang in the new year with family and friends. We did most of our usual traditions. We went to Florida to see Aunt Nelly. Mom was there too. We saw my brother Ian and his wife Gabby, my Dad and Donna, and Nelly’s beau Dwight. We stopped in Charleston on our way to see Calvin’s oldest brother Wallace and his family. We went to the botanical gardens and out to a nice dinner.

This year was so very different. 

If I am to be honest Christmas is not one of my favorite times of the year. In fact, I usually sense a bit of dread arriving just after Thanksgiving and a sense of relief the day after Christmas. I know in my heart it is the celebration of light coming into darkness — the Savior of the world revealing the truth of his Father to the world. The Truth, the Way, the Life incarnate here among us, then in the flesh and now in the spirit. And yet ... and yet, what I feel every year is a melancholic spirit. I feel the urgency and frantic energy in the air as people focus on all the material aspects of making the important day come to fruition. Somehow in the hustle bustle of activity, I feel precisely the opposite of what we are all reminding ourselves of and celebrating — I feel the absence of spirit and peace. I have come to know this place well, and I accept each year that these sentiments will arrive. I greet them with a familiarity now, and know that they will pass and I will look back lovingly on the events we do each year that have become our family traditions. I know when we attend the Christmas Eve service that the sense of peace and spirit fills my being. I am with my love celebrating Love. My darlings are sleeping and will awake to their gifts all wrapped and ready for the tree, or table as it were, to avoid Bijou’s pee (the never housebroken dog)!

This year was so very terribly and awfully different. 

The day before our departure from Richmond Calvin came home from work and told me the news — Jonathan has been hit by a car, he is dead. Time stood still for just an instant and then my heart shattered. I dropped my head in my hands and they became wet with tears. The grief was immediate and the impact so felt. A few months prior I lost my grandfather. He was an old man with a full life. He died at 97 years old, he had a successful career, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He climbed mountains, ran marathons and travelled the world. He enjoyed good food and fine clothes. One might say “a life well lived.” I don’t mean to imply that there was no grief or feeling of loss when I heard the news of my grandfather. Certainly there were moments. Those moments, however, were subtle and gentle. Jonathan's death felt so violent. It seems there is something satisfying about a potential that has been fulfilled. When that is the case the spirit more readily lets go. There was nothing left undone that needed to be said, shared or done. The body and mind of my grandfather took time, years and years to decay, dying little by little to ultimate death. It’s as if there are many little good byes that happen during that time and those years to parts of the man that was, that is no more. It is natural, in order and in good time, time to go.

Not so with Johnathan. He was a young man, 38 years old. I remember feeling drawn to Jonathan before I ever met him. I knew Calvin had this younger brother that I did not know. So I pressed upon him to try to meet him. He lived about 45 or so minutes away, but happened to be on the way to where I drove to Greensboro occasionally for my voice lessons. So we planned a visit on the way home one week. He did not answer his phone, and although the door was open, as he always left his apartments, he was not there. So we left a note — I wanted him to know we tried, that we both wanted to see him and I wanted to meet him. I eventually met Jonathan a few months later at his older brother Wallace’s school graduation. 

I can’t quite say why but I had a “love at first sight” reaction to Jonathan. Not in the romantic sense, but in a heart sense, where your whole being just feels connected to this other individual. He was so beautiful and there was something so vulnerable and perceptive about him. I got to know him better over the years and was often so impressed by his deep metaphysical insights and understandings. But Jonathan was also deeply troubled, and as the years moved forward so did his issues. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and suffered neuroses that caused odd behaviors. He did not take care of his hygiene, his thoughts and communications where not always coherent or logically connected, and he certainly held anger and resentments, sometimes towards those who loved him most. He did have desires — he wanted a wife, he wanted a career and in his way he tried to manifest those things — but because of his mental handicap, to no avail. He felt he was a prisoner to his own condition, yet refused true help, convinced he could help himself despite years of evidence to the contrary. 

When we went to clean out Jonathan's apartment after the funeral there were many empty soda bottles on the floor and plastic grocery bags everywhere. There was a stack of ramen noodle packages two feet high on the stove. Seems that ramen and soda where the staples of his diet. He had not even one proper change of clothes (he wore the same outfit over and over). His blankets were on his little day couch where we pictured him sleeping, nights alone, in dirty clothes amongst the trash on the floor. Such a sad picture. Jonathan did not manifest his potential, he often was not kind to those who tried to care for him, lashing out from his place of deep pain.

That moment I heard the news of his death and felt my heart shatter, I had a vision. It was energetically that of a shattered mirror, shards of light, and rays of black. It is in some ways how I saw Jonathan’s spirit — shattered like a broken mirror, trying to organize the pieces and somehow put them back in order, but the burden was too heavy, the puzzle too complex. 

I have thought a lot about Jonathan’s passing, and one aspect that is so striking and powerful to me is his impact on so many in his family and immediate surroundings. Despite Jonathan's lack of manifestation, or even “good behavior”, we are pained and grieved by his loss. We miss him and have a real sense of the loss of a beautiful being that was among us and is no more. What an amazing and powerful testament this is to the absolute value and worth of this individual Jonathan who touched and affected our lives in some profound way. So profound in fact we can not quite wrap our logical minds around. I think in pondering these things this is a huge gift and blessing that Jonathan has given us and reminds us of. The inherent and undeniable value and impact of another being. It did not matter what Johnathan did or did not accomplish, even his actions or inactions become secondary to the very phenomena of Jonathan. He did not have in fact to do or be or become anything. He was and is, and that is enough. We love him because he is — uniquely Jonathan made in God’s image. Worthy of honor, respect and love, despite his worldly challenges, something so perfect, and so so dearly missed. ("Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father" (Matt. 5: 48)