tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1979194495561256604.post2728362688188239209..comments2023-09-11T08:13:16.820-07:00Comments on living as if the Truth was true: hunger for fellowship, hunger for righteousnessJoanna Hoythttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13447960126998692419noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1979194495561256604.post-62033510516850117192011-01-07T07:22:05.675-08:002011-01-07T07:22:05.675-08:00Dear Joanna,
For me there has always been that t...Dear Joanna,<br /> For me there has always been that tug between purity and love. Name any quality-- righteousness, friendship, action, thought, word, deed and I can figure out a way in which I could be more "pure" about it. Once I want it to be more pure, I am incapable of the love that involves total acceptance.<br /> I "hear" the story of Paul's dream of the sheet being presented to him full of forbidden (to a Jew) as a clear indicator of which I should prefer, purity or love.I conflate the two when I wish to respond with perfect love, and believe that is only possible when either I, or the person I am in relationship with is sufficiently "pure."<br /> Oddly enough, when the person is clearly very far from my notions of purity, accepting love is much easier. <br /> Last Christmas on the streets of Cambridge, near Harvard Square, a street person was beginning to speak in abusive ways and getting more and more verbally aggressive with another person. Without really thinking about it, I walked by him, put my arm on his shoulder and said with a big grin on my face, "Hey man, it's OK. Take it easy. It's Christmas!" I didn't stop to engage him or anything else, but all the way down the street, my kids, my mom and I could hear him calling out, saying, "Hey thanks a lot lady! God Bless you. Thanks! You have a good evening now."<br /> Giving loving fellowship to anyone who crosses my path, responding with a sort of internal "yes, and..." rather than a "yes, but..."is what I want to do. However, I find that I have higher expectations and standards for the people with whom I have much more in common than I did with that street person in Boston.<br /> Towards them, I can be downright critical and impatient in my mind -- as if they should know better being so close to Truth as I know it. Of course, I think that's a projection -- I can't understand why I can't get it right, when I have been so blessed in so many ways, and had so many challenges that have given me ample opportunity to lean entirely on God.<br />But, I don't. Why is that?<br />I have no wisdom to offer, but would like to say thank you for giving me an opportunity to explore this issue in my own life.<br /><br /> As always, your integrity is a wonder to me. I'm so glad you share it with the rest of us.creekgal57https://www.blogger.com/profile/04854404997773727879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1979194495561256604.post-36346775395983071112010-12-11T16:12:26.967-08:002010-12-11T16:12:26.967-08:00Thank you for sharing this, Joanna. It's good ...Thank you for sharing this, Joanna. It's good food for thought. Open and honest. I've felt some of the same things and admire you for your description.Nate LaClairehttp://natelaclaire.com/noreply@blogger.com