Webs

Late August brings out the spiders. Drive across a bridge between PA and NJ at night, and you'll see more webs between the beams than stars in the sky. This arachnid handiwork is both wondrous and creepy - beautiful from a distance, but you wouldn't want to get stuck there.

Reflecting on these magnificent creations...and cheesy Biblical tie-ins...the following passage comes to mind:

"And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell." Matthew 5:30

What is the "right hand" for you? What self-created "webs" entangle you? How do we free ourselves from getting stuck?

One part of my life that sometimes bogs me down is conflict. Conflict is not in my comfort zone; instead, my default mode is harmony. I generally want to get along with people and want them to like me. Taken to an extreme, such tendencies can make me a "people pleaser;" the other side of that coin is "nice guy." Whether we say tomato or too-mah-toe, the point is that conflict often catches me off guard, and arguments tend to stay with me for a while.

As a result, I replay arguments in my head long after the fact. Of course, I perform far better on the home turf of my imagination where I make one irrefutable point after another; in other words, I win!

Certainly, the competitive drive is an instinct that promotes achievement, growth, and success. My theological, political, and economic philosophies all rest upon the inherent human desire for freedom and opportunity.

And yet, I've got to remind myself that, as a Christian, my mission in life is not to win arguments. My directive is to follow Christ. Among other things, that means keeping my ego in check.

I believe that my web is a focus on WINNING the conflict rather than WITNESSING for Christ within conflict.

Cutting off the sin of pride - that's not easy, especially for a privileged straight white male like me. It's going to take lots of practice with active, calm, open listening. Would love to hear how other people keep their egos in check.

To repeat earlier questions: What webs catch you? How do you sever the arm that got you there? How do you keep your pride behind Jesus rather than in front of him?

Do it now!

After a month-long blog hiatus (Blogaitus?), I'm feeling very "now."

"Now" occurs in time and space, the dimensions of a universe created by God.

We live and die in now.

This "now" will never happen again...unless you have a time machine, which is a whole other post.

I have some work that I've been putting off, and putting off, and putting off some more. But when I am still, I hear a voice in my head, a voice that has been forged by the advice, wisdom, training, and support of many good people over many years. None of us grow in a vacuum - we are molded by our environment. I have been fortunate enough to grow up in a loving family. In my schooling, from nursery to seminary, I've had excellent teachers across the board. They taught me to be responsible, make tough decisions, and trust the outcome. When I listen to this voice, I cannot escape one feeling, cannot deny the one powerful idea that rises to the top.

NOW.

If you're reading this, maybe you have something in your life that you have delayed, something you need to face but would rather not. Something that, when you drift off to sleep, bubbles in your subconscious and sours your dreams. My consolation is to assure you that you are not alone. I'm a procrastinator in recovery, and other people struggle with "P" as well.

My prayer is that God loves us, period. We can live into that love by trusting our capacity to face what we need to face. God will love us before, during, and afterwards. Once it's over, we'll feel a whole lot better.

El futuro es ahora.
The future is now.

Let's do it now!