God
A startling re-revelation
The way we perceive a thing is directly influenced by whatever we have mentally associated with it. This is especially true with names. Hearing Matt & Joanna discuss how they came up with a name for their son reminded me of this.
M: “What about Leif, you know, like Leif Ericsson? That’s a great Scandinavian name.”
J: “No no, no, I knew a Leif once in High school and he was a real creep. I was thinking something more like Charles.”
M: “Charles??? For some reason that name reminds me of 50’s music and a strange shade of brown. What about Joshua?”
If you have ever met a person with the same name as someone you really disliked, and didn’t even momentarily suspect them of having less than noble character, you are unusual.
So it was unfortunate for me to re-realize that I often associate the word “God” and the name “Jesus” with all the wrong things. When I hear the word God, experiences of the following should be the first to come to mind: love, grace, mercy, beauty, truth. Like when you did something really crappy and someone shows you un-believable goodness (parents). Or, like when you were an ass to your little sister and she cleaned up your room. Or, when one of the worst things in your life happened, and your friend drops what he’s doing, drives over, and watches Firefly with you all evening. Or you’re barfing at the finish-line and a stranger hands you a water-bottle. Or, like when you suddenly realized the truth about something. And it was good. Or, when you ask for help moving and 5 million people show up. Or, like when the most gorgeous girl in the world smiled at you. And she meant it. Or like, when Matt and Joanna’s faces were just glowing with love for their 6 month old son, even though he was screaming and they were in a dense, pagan, child-despising crowd. Or when you listen to a song that paralyzes you, because it is so gorgeous you can’t move. Or like when you see a painting of a beautiful woman and it reminds you of someone.
I was trying to figure out what would make men sell all they have and live in a cave for months, with the sole purpose of memorizing the New Testament to take it to people in a nation where the Bible is rare or outlawed. Or what would make children in the same nation tell their parents they are going to Jewelry school, when in reality the “jewelry store” is, part of the day, an underground seminary where they study the scriptures. They shower and eat meat only once a week because their "tuition" is payed by an underground church and don’t have much. Why the heck would someone do that.
But if I had a deep understanding of God, really, really, deep, I think I would know why. I think it would be obvious.
The way we perceive a thing is directly influenced by whatever we have mentally associated with it. This is especially true with names. Hearing Matt & Joanna discuss how they came up with a name for their son reminded me of this.
M: “What about Leif, you know, like Leif Ericsson? That’s a great Scandinavian name.”
J: “No no, no, I knew a Leif once in High school and he was a real creep. I was thinking something more like Charles.”
M: “Charles??? For some reason that name reminds me of 50’s music and a strange shade of brown. What about Joshua?”
If you have ever met a person with the same name as someone you really disliked, and didn’t even momentarily suspect them of having less than noble character, you are unusual.
So it was unfortunate for me to re-realize that I often associate the word “God” and the name “Jesus” with all the wrong things. When I hear the word God, experiences of the following should be the first to come to mind: love, grace, mercy, beauty, truth. Like when you did something really crappy and someone shows you un-believable goodness (parents). Or, like when you were an ass to your little sister and she cleaned up your room. Or, when one of the worst things in your life happened, and your friend drops what he’s doing, drives over, and watches Firefly with you all evening. Or you’re barfing at the finish-line and a stranger hands you a water-bottle. Or, like when you suddenly realized the truth about something. And it was good. Or, when you ask for help moving and 5 million people show up. Or, like when the most gorgeous girl in the world smiled at you. And she meant it. Or like, when Matt and Joanna’s faces were just glowing with love for their 6 month old son, even though he was screaming and they were in a dense, pagan, child-despising crowd. Or when you listen to a song that paralyzes you, because it is so gorgeous you can’t move. Or like when you see a painting of a beautiful woman and it reminds you of someone.
I was trying to figure out what would make men sell all they have and live in a cave for months, with the sole purpose of memorizing the New Testament to take it to people in a nation where the Bible is rare or outlawed. Or what would make children in the same nation tell their parents they are going to Jewelry school, when in reality the “jewelry store” is, part of the day, an underground seminary where they study the scriptures. They shower and eat meat only once a week because their "tuition" is payed by an underground church and don’t have much. Why the heck would someone do that.
But if I had a deep understanding of God, really, really, deep, I think I would know why. I think it would be obvious.
posted by tmm at
2:26 PM
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