I am Here (and so are you)

Where are you? Right now. Think about it. (No, this isn't an exercise in geography. Oblige me for a moment.) Have you ever stopped to ponder where you are, as a life on this earth? The places you routinely traverse, the people you have made connections within the web of social spheres, the daily humdrum of activity that creates the habitual patterns of your existence? It is a life that is uniquely yours. One that no one else has ever lived, nor ever will again. The picture of our current experience of reality is the culmination of so many defining factors. What if one of them were different? What if you were transplanted 50, 100, 2,000 miles away? Think about the different people you would be connected with, and how those connections (and the lack of the relationships you have now) would change you, and would alter the way you impact the world.

Because we do impact our world. Small decisions can have far reaching consequences. When visiting my great uncle's family in Washington, he said, "I tell my grandkids all the time, 'The decisions you make now don't just affect you. They will impact others for generations.' " He is right. I look back through our family history albums and am amazed by the way history unfolds. The choices of these people who I never knew resulted in the reality that my family and I are here today. And it is not just the fact that we are here at all that is amazing. It is that we are alive today.

I have often wondered what it would be like to live in a different period in history. To grow up in a culture, or country, divergent from the one I have experienced. Yet I wasn't born in some other time or raised in some other place, but live here and now. Who can fathom how God, as the architect of history, who knows every possible outcome of the decisions of mankind, knew exactly how each life would impact the others, and placed them accordingly. He stitched me exactly where I am in the tapestry of humanity, so that my life would uniquely cross with so many others. And He did the same for you. You are intentional, and immensely valuable. Placed with purpose, led with love. Gifted with untapped potential. And because of the power of your destiny, and mine too, there will be many attempts to have it stolen from us. The enemy wants to blind us to the strength and immeasurable loving-kindness of the Father. That fallen angel would rather us be orphans without an inheritance.

Acts 17:26
From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that..

So that what? Why am I placed where I am? The more charged question, why does God allow certain things to happen to people? Wouldn't the God of love desire only blessing for His children? I think this is an especially hard concept for my generation to grasp. We are known for our mindset of entitlement. The benefits of hard work (i.e. Pain) have been largely lost on us. So why? What's the reason behind circumstances that are beyond any individual's control?

Vs. 27-28
... So that they would seek Him, and perhaps reach out for Him, and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. 'For in Him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'we are His offspring.'

God's ultimate desire is not our mere happiness. (Can you imagine the toddler who gets everything they want all the time? That's dysfunctional madness.) Remember the prophet Hosea, whom God instructed to marry a prostitute because she would be unfaithful. Is that cruel on God's part? No, cruelty is contrary to His nature. He is faithful always. He works all things for good. The brokenness of this covenant personified Israel's own abominable unfaithfulness to their God. Withholding this example would take away an opportunity for repentance and reconciliation. The Lord needed to call His people back to His heart. This was an opportunity He wasn't willing to forfeit. I believe the Lord's desire is for us to have the greatest opportunity of knowing Him and making Him known to others. He wants us to know life as His children, and to bring many, many more home. This is true satisfaction. This is joy that transcends circumstance. This is what it means to be truly alive.

It isn't my job to analyze why I am where I am right now, or to try and fabricate some elevated grand scheme of my "Divine assignment". The Lord reveals and conceals with equal purpose. I must humble myself daily, seek His voice, and obey His commandments. I can embrace ambiguous uncertainty, for I know that it exercises the muscle of trust which strengthens my faith, without which I cannot please the Father. But in having faith for the future I want to be sure not to lose sight of the sacredness of now. The daily provisions and opportunities that come directly from God's hand above. Holiness is here, in the commonplace, for who can see but God how our response to the mundane shapes eternity.

A Shadorma

This is a Shadorma poem I wrote last year. This poetic form is said to have originated from Spain, and consists of six-line stanzas, each with a fixed syllable count for every line (similar to a haiku). There are three syllables in the first line, five in the second, three in the third and fourth lines, seven syllables in the fifth line, and five syllables in the sixth line (3/5/3/3/7/5) for a total of 26 syllables.

I never

Liked to use the word

“Fall”. You see,

“Autumn” had

A lyrical quality,

While “Fall” sounded dead.

Then a new

Realization.

This “fall” was

Descriptive

Well beyond the veracious

Movement it describes.

The season

Is illustrated

Through the sound,

Of the word.

“Fall” begins with the whistling

Of breath through teeth, then

Connection

Is severed, and the

Syllable

Must plummet,

Falling through expansive space

Until it descends,

Bit by bit,

To the ground, meeting

Its brothers

That are now

Surrendering to death so

They might supply life.

Calculated Randomness: Part 2

The fingerprint of God is everywhere. Nature repeatedly testifies to His inexhaustible intentionality. Everything was originally purposed to exist in perfect harmony: God, man, and the world over which Adam was given dominion. Yet unity was shattered when a lie was bought for truth. Now we see things vaguely, only dimly grasping what is the "reality" of this life. We are ever in need of a new perspective to see beyond the boundaries of our own understanding. Science attempts to give us a solid understanding of our world based on facts, and experimentation, but even here a great deal of faith is involved in theorizing a true image of the universe.

Issac Newton said this,
"It is inconceivable that inanimate brute matter, should, without the mediation of something else, which is not material, operate upon and affect other matter without mutual contact. That Gravity should be innate, inherent and essential to matter so that one body may act upon another at a distance thro' a vacuum without the mediation of anything else, by and through which their action and force may be conveyed, from one to another, is to me so great an absurdity that I believe no man who has in philosophical matters a competent faculty of thinking can ever fall into it. Gravity must be caused by an agent acting constantly according to certain laws; but whether this agent be material or immaterial, I have left to the consideration of my readers."

Since Newton's time, science has indeed discovered the massless agent that acts as a messenger particle for the gravitational force. This "graviton", a conquest of man through naming, has been operating on mater since the initial establishment of the laws of the universe. It didn't need man's recognition to be real. God's creation works, whether or not we can see or understand. The more science discovers about the world, the more it is revealed how intricately it all works together. Looking at a cell, with miniscule layer upon layer of working parts that are each necessary for life's continuation, the mindful omnipotence of the Lord is unavoidable. The workings of the universe are not some random distribution of forces or particles. They work, and there is a reason they work. It was all designed by a brilliant Creator who had the what's, why's, and how's answered long before we even had the questions.

The Greeks came up with the atom as being the smallest possible element of matter. It turns out though, atoms are made up of electrons that surround a nucleus. So what is the uncuttable ingredient that makes up everything else? Well, we don't really know. Whatever it is must be much smaller than the magnifying capacities of our most advanced probing equipment. Nevertheless, String Theory attempts to give an answer. It proposes that the universe is made up, not of points, but of tiny, one-dimensional, oscillating strings. Beyond that there are some really complicated suppositions that I don't pretend to at all understand, but I digress. Brian Greene describes this theory in his book, "The Elegant Universe" saying, "what appear to be different elementary particles are actually different 'notes' on a fundamental string--being composed of an enormous number of these vibrating strings--is akin to a cosmic symphony." How can this symphony be "random" parts whose coherency is purely accidental? Will we make a god of chaos, yet ignore the true Composer who holds the key to the fullness of life? The rich complexity of our cosmos cannot be denied. Why must we insist on seeing only far enough to come short of God? I love what the first few verses of Psalm 19 say about the testament of creation.
1 

2 

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;

    night after night they reveal knowledge.

3 

They have no speech, they use no words;

    no sound is heard from them.

4 

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

    their words to the ends of the world.

No matter where you look, the awe-inspiring hand of God is made evident. From the precise placement of the earth that keeps us from burning or freezing, Pythagoras' music of spheres, the golden ratio, the numerous cycles of nature, and much, much more. Who can begin to fathom what other mysteries will declare the marvelous nature of the Most High? How wonderful it will be when all is revealed.

Calculated Randomness: Part 1

One morning while enjoying breakfast with my family, my dad made a statement that begged to be digested.

"I think the word 'random' is very demonic in nature."

This comment made all of us stop and ponder. "Random" seems to be everywhere today. From its presence in social media to laughingly mark incongruent humor or silliness, to its implications within philosophical and scientific ideas about man's origin and purpose. This word is deeply embedded into our culture's subconscious. Yet, doesn't "random" deny the hand of an involved God who desperately desires the purification of his children in a fallen world? Even the introduction of this idea is not "chance". It is an intentional deception, calculated by the Enemy to subtly distort mankind's perceptions of God and His world. In reality, nothing is mere happenstance. Anything that states otherwise boldfacedly declares that God is not all-powerful, nor does he love, much less care. This concept is built upon the world view that man is without purpose, and every person must flounder in the turbulent, suffocating sea of existence. A dog-eat-dog world where everything depends upon our own strength and wherewithall. 1 Corinthians 14:33, however, gives us a different message.
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace--as in all the congregations of the Lord's people.

The Lord deeply cares for those He has created. His desire is not for us to flounder, but to flourish. He is the perfect Father who watches out for His little children and guards their steps, seeing far beyond our own shortsightedness. We are messy and we make no shortage of mistakes, but God longs to bring us closer to His own perfect nature. He is orchestrating everything to the crescendo of restored glory. But not everyone will partake in this restoration. Many will ignore the invitation, and they will have to then live with the chaos they have selected. The question is raised, would the God of Christianity allow for all of the hurt, hate, and hardship that is so prominent in our world? If such a Being was real, surely He must not know what He is doing.

I beg to differ. An impressionistic painting looks like meaningless chaos when observed narrowly. It is only from a more expansive perspective that the sporadic becomes, not only coherent, but breathtaking. God's perspective is far above our own. Only He can see the grand scheme of history. It is HIS STORY afterall. Though His influence and power goes beyond anything our finite minds can comprehend, He desires participants, not puppets. He is not too grand to take an interest in the minute particulars of our lives. The later part of Matthew 6 points this out. Nothing is too small for God's attention or too far removed for His omnipotence. Once again though, He is not a dictator, but a Gentleman. He wants us to choose Him, and He won't force us to do anything against our will. When we recognize and accept His wooing, we embark upon the Ultimate Romance.

Nature testifies to God's unrelenting attention to detail. The delicate interworkings of our universe are mindbogglingly complex, with patterns that display a Divine fingerprint from the microscopic to the celestial. (I hope to discuss this more in a future post). How much more is God involved with mankind, for the sake of whom He sacrificed His only Son? Our Creator, the ultimate architect, is not flustered by "undesirable" history or circumstance. He is not limited by brokenness. It is through brokenness that His power is showcased most fully. He longs to invest in our lives, intending for us to be transformed into the pure, fully developed beings that will be able to commune with Him forever in eternity as He intended. But this perfect plan can only be brought forth when Perfection is given control of our destination. As we sacrifice our tainted, selfish, chaotic nature, The Spirit enables us to move in harmony with God's will. Psalm 37:23 assures us that those who follow righteousness will be directed by the Lord. They will not be left to 'figure things out' or 'make it happen' on their own. We are invited to embark on an eternal Journey with the provider of purpose and the satisfaction of all our longings. The choice is ours.

September

The world stands attentively on the threshold of autumn. Though this future may seem ever beyond arms reach in regions where the sun's heat unrelentingly holds, the rhythmic momentum of its rising and setting assures of the promised change. It is a transformation that is not foreign to mankind, yet it is one that greets each perennial generation with new wonder and awe. Fall is a mixture of blissful surprise and eager expectation. Though now I sit by with longing for the season, one day soon, I will awake in ravished awe to the unbridled display of vibrance all around me. The metamorphosis is steady and unseen, but all the while actively intentional under the hand of the Divine. September is the month when this cocoon begins to blossom.

---

I see Summer as she rises from the dew-covered grass of the morning where her voice mingled with the bubbling laughter of her companions. With nymphish nievity, she follows curiosity's urge to frolic through the vast expanse of the unexplored glens. She looks and listens, scampers and falls, all the while collecting gems of experience that masquerade themselves as the wayward twigs and flowers that playfully adorn her tresses. Walking in the pathway set by the setting Sun before her, Summer's steps are no longer playful, but purposed. Her stride has elongated with her limbs, and her eyes are piqued and inquisitive. The wind rustles through the still-green leaves and stirs her soul. She turns. Autumn stands before her, and extends his strong and tender hand. A flush of color slowly spreads through the forest boughs overhead. She smiles and accepts, and the two walk together to the tune of birdsong as their conversation mingles with the gentle mumblings of the river. With the setting sun, arbors shed their leaves to cover the earthen floor with a blanket that will nurture the birth of new sprouts of green life in the spring.

Hey Y'all: A commentary on the infamous Southern colloquialism

I have just returned from two breathless weeks in Nashville, TN where I attended the Annie Moses Band's Fine Arts Summer Academy. (If you have not heard of FASA, I highly recommend you check it out. You will be challenged artistically, uplifted spiritually, and inspired through relationships to hone your gifts for God's ultimate glory! More information can be found here.)

While I was there, I was asked what the biggest difference was between Tennessee and California. Aside from the humidity, I was intrigued with nearly everyone's use of the word "y'all", and even more so with how much I enjoyed hearing it. While the term struck me in my younger years as being an odd and inconsiderate shortening of "typical" speech, I now feel that "y'all" is an admirable solution to a modern linguistic problem.

Let me explain.

I learned in one of my Latin classes that while many languages have a separate set of endings to distinguish the second person singular (you) form from the second person plural (y'all) form, modern English does not. A few centuries ago, "thou" served the purpose of specifying a singular entity, but it is needless to say that this phrase has dissolved from common speech, leaving "you" to work double duty for both tenses. "You" can posses an abstract quality when speaking to a group. It also leads to the slightly odd use of casual phrases like "you guys", which technically doesn't work in mixed company. "Y'all", on the other hand, graciously solves the problem. It is succinct, practical, and because of its unique tonal quality feels much more personal and warm somehow. The word just makes so much sense.

Here is an excerpt I found on the history of this little word:

Linguist Michael Montgomery claims that "y'all" goes back to the Scots-Irish phrase "ye aw," and he offers as evidence a letter written in 1737 by an Irish immigrant in New York to a friend back home: "Now I beg of ye aw to come over here." As I understand Montgomery's hypothesis, "ye aw" was Americanized into "y'all," which is indeed a contraction of "you all" but would not have come into being without the influence of the Scots-Irish phrase.

I know this is an odd thing to discuss so intensely, but the simple truth is that I love language. As human beings we were created for relationships, and this is why I find it fascinating to ponder the subtleties that shape our communications, as conversation is one of the primary ways of cultivating interconnectedness and mutual understanding. Y'all tickled my fancy, and I wanted to find out more.

Well, that's about all I have to say. To my new friends in Tennessee, enjoy the lush greenery. Things are dry and dreary here in California right now. Oh, and one more thing. Y'all take care!

The Folly of Fear

I danced. My limbs sung out joy and adoration as my tongue danced in the cathedral of my mouth. With eyes closed I could finally see, and I moved freely without fear of anything that might obstruct my path. For a moment I was praise personified, but it was not myself who was the author of this image. In my surrender, the Creator of my innermost being had enveloped me in His Spirit. The One who knows me better than I know myself was moving through me for His glory. I kicked off my shoes, for this was holy ground. These are the treasures God has for His children.

This was my experience at the first night of Ammunition, A youth conference which was hosted at my church a few weeks ago. The weekend-long event was filled with anointed worship, inspiring teaching, and powerful encounters with God. It would probably take me hours to fully divulge what God shifted in my life over the course of these three days, so instead I will do my best to convey the core essence of my experience.

Fearless was the name of this event, and throughout the time that is what I became. I realized how infinitely powerful my God is, and how terrified satan is of that power that resides within those who invite Jesus into their lives. In 1 John 4:4 we are told, "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." Our Lord has already won! Wickedness has been defeated. So why aren't we living in that victory? Why don't we step out in boldness as true ambassadors for Christ's love? The enemy has sedated the church with pleasure, and has convinced Christians to wear the same lifestyle as everyone else. He has made it so that when people see us, they don't want what we have because our portrayal of what God has to offer doesn't look that much different than what they already have--judgmental and rigid, or stressed and unfulfilled. There was an incredible analogy that was given the first night. While we sitting in the pews, a group of guys completely encompassed us in caution tape, invisible walls built up by the enemy to keep us in our seats and refrain us from embodying the love of Christ for fear of what others would think. I couldn't believe that I had allowed this to become true in my own life, choosing to stay silent to avoid being labeled as fanatical. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." The Lord is good, and he deeply, passionately, and intimately loves us. His will for us is not to live in stifling despair; it is to abide in the power and peace of His grace. I know that I can trust Him in EVERY aspect of my life because He fills me with purpose and fulfillment that goes beyond anything I could attain on my own. 

I confess that I have been putting off writing this post for some time, daily slipping out the back doors of procrastination in the hope that if I lost sight of this "task" it might disappear. It wasn't that I didn't want anyone to know how God inhabits the praises of His people. Quite the contrary! It was more the feeling that the composition of this post would be a laborious task. There was also a small part of me that wondered if my shared experience would only encourage skepticism and mockery. I realize now that these fears are from the enemy, and are meant solely to inhibit me from engaging in the fullness of God's purpose. I think this shows how imperative it is for God's children to recognize that even after The Lord has incredibly transformed our hearts and minds, Satan will attempt to prevent us from living out the callings Christ has on our lives. His mercy is given without hesitation, but it is our own response to this gift that is made in the small, seemingly insignificant choices that determine our realization of His promises. I will no longer be complacent, accepting the bondage the enemy tries to cripple me or others with. Those who came to this conference entered individuals, but we left an inspired army. We were filled with a righteous anger, and now we are ready to fight.

Downton Blabby: A Satire

“Downton Abbey” at the SAG Awards

It goes without saying that Americans love television. It is estimated that “We the People” watch about four hours of T.V. a day, and what better way to quench our ever consuming desire for moving pictures and indulgent oversized couches than by watching television programs about television programs. The Screen Actors Guild Awards took place this past January, presenting thirteen different awards to honor performers exclusively. These kind of award shows offer the public the singular delight of watching their favorite faces don personally selected costumes and utter self-authored lines. While we have seen our own Hollywood actors execute such performances with breathless sincerity, this year’s SAG Awards made it possible for us to judge how our British counterparts were able to offer up their own imitations of spontaneity.

The cast of the highly acclaimed “Downton Abbey” were presented with the award for best ensemble in a drama series, and from the first moment their win was announced they were off to a good start. The likes of Mrs. Hughes, Mary Crawley, Tom Branson, Daisy, and Ethel (Their real names are of little to no consequence because the characters they portray already have claim to their facades within the minds of the cultured public.) were apparently shocked when their ensemble was announced as winner. The surprised ecstasy the group wore upon their faces as they made their way up to the stage was a joy to watch, and a wise move on the part of these seasoned performers. They knew well how their artful display of humility and undeservedness could only make their viewers adore them more. It would have appeared to any onlooker that these individuals were totally ignorant of their own brilliance, and therefore, all the more deserving of praise.

A breathless Mrs. Hughes took the mic to express her thanks. While her choice of dress made her appear like she was bidding for a role in “Mad Men”,  there can be little doubt that she knew her own party to be far superior to the retro-American wannabes who were also in attendance. With eyes sparkling, Mrs. Hughes uttered, “Shut the french windows! We were not expecting this.” Although she might as well have said, “Take THAT, you bunch of Yankees!”, for we all know that Britain has never relinquished its grudge against its former colony, passing animosity from one generation to the next. Mr. Pamuk is only a foreshadowing of how the mother country of a once sprawling empire intends to seduce us with boy bands and accents, until they recall their agents and leave us heartbroken and withdrawn, unable to cope with life any longer. PBS really stands for “Popularizing British Supremacy,” and Julian Fellowes is actually a secret agent trained in Subconscious British-Dependency Conditioning. But who cares if all this comes to pass? As long as we are entertained, nothing else matters!

On the note of entertainment, the “Downton Abbey” fan will want to note the specific phrase Mrs. Hughes used to communicate her disbelief. The unusual exclamation, surely reveals some future hidden plot twist for the upcoming season of the show. Perhaps it indicates the discovery of someone’s long lost Parisian flame that threatens to surround the Downton household in scandal. On the other hand it could have a much more modern connotation: That princess Kate will be declining all French designers' proposals to outfit her royal child. Daisy’s choice to wear yellow to the SAG Awards, a definitive sign of ambassadorship for the Queen, silently expressed the matriarch’s firm endorsement of this decision.

Backstage, a cast member joked that they thought their large ensemble would be bypassed so that the people behind the SAG Awards could save money by not having to purchase so many statues. Of course, our own investigation reveals that this is simply more subconscious conditioning designed to get Americans to buy more things made in Great Britain, doubtless a part of Parliament's plan to stimulate their economy. As for myself, I shall have no tea.