Do I stay away from or is it good to be in the shadows?
In church yesterday we read from Proverbs 9. In this text it makes reference to a woman who is the foil to woman wisdom. While woman wisdom (Sophia) builds her house on 7 pillars, this other woman does not. While Sophia feeds wine she mixed, her counter part gives only stolen wine. Sophia's home is where life can be nourished, while this other woman's home is in the shadows and the occupants are in Sheol.
Later in the worship, we sang a song which expressed the comfort that comes in being in the shadow of the wings of God.
Two different references taking two different interpretations of the same motif - Shadow.
So the question moving through my mind is, Do I avoid or run to the shadows?
I am not a St. John of the Cross scholar, but as I recall, St. John of the Cross writes of God being in the shadows. That is only in the shadows, as awful as they can be sometime, God is there.
We "know this". We hear this in Sunday school when we are kids. But it still is amazing to me how often I avoid the shadows of life. If I am avoiding the shadows, am I also avoiding God?
I mean isn't the point of being "in the shadow of God's wing" meant to imply a closeness or nearness to God?
Perhaps it is by being in the shadows we are close to God? Perhaps being in the shadow of God is to be near to God. But isn't God often found in the dark places of life?
So I am brought back to the paradox of being in close enough to be in God's shadow also means I am intentionally moving toward the shadows of life. For there I will find God. Metaphor
Later in the worship, we sang a song which expressed the comfort that comes in being in the shadow of the wings of God.
Two different references taking two different interpretations of the same motif - Shadow.
So the question moving through my mind is, Do I avoid or run to the shadows?
I am not a St. John of the Cross scholar, but as I recall, St. John of the Cross writes of God being in the shadows. That is only in the shadows, as awful as they can be sometime, God is there.
We "know this". We hear this in Sunday school when we are kids. But it still is amazing to me how often I avoid the shadows of life. If I am avoiding the shadows, am I also avoiding God?
I mean isn't the point of being "in the shadow of God's wing" meant to imply a closeness or nearness to God?
Perhaps it is by being in the shadows we are close to God? Perhaps being in the shadow of God is to be near to God. But isn't God often found in the dark places of life?
So I am brought back to the paradox of being in close enough to be in God's shadow also means I am intentionally moving toward the shadows of life. For there I will find God. Metaphor
Breathing Continued...
A few posts ago I mentioned the spirituality of breathing, specifically the differences in the breathing of humans verses the breathing of God. After further reflection on this metaphor, I am really embracing this image. So to expand the metaphor a bit more...
It is vital that we take air into our lungs. As noted early, this air could be understood in the Christian sense as wind or spirit. Thus we can only live if we take in the breath/wind/spirit of God. But here is the kicker not only is taking breath into our lungs vital for our survival, but we have to exhale that breath/wind/spirit out to "complete" the breathing process.
To speak metaphorically, we can only live if we take in AND let go of the spirit of God.
Additionally, it is impossible for each of us to hold air in our lung forever. Likewise, it is impossible for humanity to hold on to God for any length of time.
Just as our lives area like breaths, so to are our understandings and experiences with God. Fleeting, whisper breaths.
And so I encourage you to continue to find metaphors which are rich in your life. Build on them, develop them and share them, you never know when your exhale will be your neighbors next breath of life.
It is vital that we take air into our lungs. As noted early, this air could be understood in the Christian sense as wind or spirit. Thus we can only live if we take in the breath/wind/spirit of God. But here is the kicker not only is taking breath into our lungs vital for our survival, but we have to exhale that breath/wind/spirit out to "complete" the breathing process.
To speak metaphorically, we can only live if we take in AND let go of the spirit of God.
Additionally, it is impossible for each of us to hold air in our lung forever. Likewise, it is impossible for humanity to hold on to God for any length of time.
Just as our lives area like breaths, so to are our understandings and experiences with God. Fleeting, whisper breaths.
And so I encourage you to continue to find metaphors which are rich in your life. Build on them, develop them and share them, you never know when your exhale will be your neighbors next breath of life.
Spiritual breathing
My last seminary paper which I turned in today, was on the topic "The Biblical Spirituality of Breathing". Although the paper is longer than I would post on this blog I did want to share some of what I learned.
Both humans and God breath. The difference is God's breath does much more than the breath of humans.
Like God, humanity breaths to sustain life. If God stopped breathing, so would we. But God's breath does much more than just sustain life. Perhaps this is what is meant that humanity has a divine spark within them. We have the ability to breath but only just a spark of the way God breaths.
God's breath is found in the creation of the world (Genesis 1, 2:7 and Psalms 33:6) and in the salvation of Israel by holding back the waters of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21 and 15:10).
To describe God as one who breathes is a statement of faith in that idols of clay, stone or iron do not have the ability to breath (Habakkuk 2:19, Psalm 135:15-18) Perhaps my favorite scripture on this aspect comes to us from Jeremiah 10:14 which states; "Everyone is stupid and without knowledge; goldsmiths are all put to shame by their idols; for their images are false, and there is no breath in them."
The breath of God also judges people as in Isaiah 11:4 and Revelation 19:15.
And of course God is prophetic in breath such as in Ezekiel 37 to the dry bones and the Risen Christ who breathes the Holy Spirit to the Disciples in John 20.
I know that humans are not God. But at the same breath I am not sure I can totally affirm that God is totally and wholly other because we are made in the image of God. I know individual humans do not have the ability to encompass all the characteristics of God's breath, though I think some individuals are able to breath fuller than others.
But my question is this, "Can the Church as a collective body, breathe with all the characteristics of God's breath?"
Both humans and God breath. The difference is God's breath does much more than the breath of humans.
Like God, humanity breaths to sustain life. If God stopped breathing, so would we. But God's breath does much more than just sustain life. Perhaps this is what is meant that humanity has a divine spark within them. We have the ability to breath but only just a spark of the way God breaths.
God's breath is found in the creation of the world (Genesis 1, 2:7 and Psalms 33:6) and in the salvation of Israel by holding back the waters of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21 and 15:10).
To describe God as one who breathes is a statement of faith in that idols of clay, stone or iron do not have the ability to breath (Habakkuk 2:19, Psalm 135:15-18) Perhaps my favorite scripture on this aspect comes to us from Jeremiah 10:14 which states; "Everyone is stupid and without knowledge; goldsmiths are all put to shame by their idols; for their images are false, and there is no breath in them."
The breath of God also judges people as in Isaiah 11:4 and Revelation 19:15.
And of course God is prophetic in breath such as in Ezekiel 37 to the dry bones and the Risen Christ who breathes the Holy Spirit to the Disciples in John 20.
I know that humans are not God. But at the same breath I am not sure I can totally affirm that God is totally and wholly other because we are made in the image of God. I know individual humans do not have the ability to encompass all the characteristics of God's breath, though I think some individuals are able to breath fuller than others.
But my question is this, "Can the Church as a collective body, breathe with all the characteristics of God's breath?"
Be the change by Jason Valendy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.