I am a devoted follower of Jesus and yet I find this so powerful. Demystifying our definitions of God and Christianity. Or churchianity as it's sometimes called. I pray the one they call Jehovah will reveal himself I'm ways we can perceive and appreciate. 🙏🏽
I think that’s part of the power in this piece— it doesn’t , at least to me, feel ostracizing to believers in general. It makes me think of what’s important, not what has been designated.
As a religion scholar at university who has been studying religion and philosophy and art and mythology and Brian science and psychology for my whole life, it seems to me you finally believe in God. The words holy and sacred and gods and spirit etc. — all traveled in the territories you are describing here. But our culture has lost an entire category about wonder and fairy dust and mystery in any real ways. And so belief and faith became yet another stop on certainty. Another argument and idea about ourselves. Rather than being where our ideas fell apart in awe at what is in spite of us and our wants.
The work seems to be to put that understanding to rest and to hover over these other embers of our culture that most institutions and structures have encouraged us to walk away from and to notice if something catches fire under our watch.
This is powerful. And yes to where our ideas fall apart “in spite of us and our wants.” It’s in this wrestling and thirty foot view that we see clearly and step out of our own way.
I think there are two ways to examine this piece of writing. You can take the text literally as an attack on faith, or if you're a non-believer, justify the position of your faith. The alternative might be that this is written as a character piece where the author is just ruminating and can't seem to come to terms with where on the continuum of belief they land. Perhaps it is simply a thought experiment, meant to simply ask more questions that it is meant to answer, because that is the most human thing to do. And on the random occasion that a question achieves resolution, a system of faith and belief can take root. Until such a time we live in questionland.
This is more like the God I believe in too. Not far off in a distant heaven but within us all waiting to be revealed. A God of mystery, of hope but also of challenge. Visible wherever people are kind and compassionate and loving towards each other.
Ooh, high praise! And I mean that, Christine. Thank you. It seems to me that there are lots of different Christian "god"s. I think I just got tired of a certain brand. It is something like a hamburger, I suppose. For years, I thought McDonald's hamburgers were Hamburger with a capital "H"—the essence of a ground beef patty with cheese, pickles, bun, and all. Little did I know that there were deeper, more enriching versions of a burger. That, in fact, there is a whole word of craft hamburgers and vegan burgers and all kinds of other food out there in the world, all of which can nourish a hungry soul. Or something like that. ;)
I think a lot of people are going through this same kind of transition, redefining God not as critical and judgemental but loving and compassionate. I just started a podcast - the Liturgical Rebels - in which I am interviewing Christians who are redefining their relationship with God and connecting to this God of love and mystery - especially poets, artists, writers and musicians. Would love to line up an interview with you
I really enjoyed this, thank you Jeff. It feels like a stripping away of all the layers that have been put onto the mystery and beauty and the wildness - the romance - many encounter growing up; removing the dogma that attempts to tame all that and make it all into rote religious statements - and just getting back to the wonder. I would argue that it very much feels like growing up, and in fact growing up often means becoming like a child again in these things. The last line is telling :). Appreciated this. I really think you should move into writing fiction.
Thoughts and musings I share as well. I was raised Independent Fundamental Baptist, then Southern Baptist. I've spent 15 years unraveling from that belief system. Now... I have more questions than answers yet more clear than I ever was in those close minded institutions.
Loved your imagery, and the way you drew me in and you left me there wondering. Hmm. Actually, it reminded me of a poem I had written long ago when I was angry at God for how he works. It was a freestyle piece that let him know I had had it. And I loved the fact I did feel freedom to just put those thoughts on paper without any fear. Thanks for sharing. Anne
Another a devoted Jesus follower who resonates so much with this poem. Religion is about making rules and putting God into boxes we can make sense of. My relationship with God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit defies these attempts to quantify and control a God who cannot be conceived and understood by my human brain, much less contained. I see this poem as an invitation to awe and wonder, which is where I believe true faith begins.
and wonder why our wonder has been replaced with reason,
scrubbed like the decks on a ship
that will never reach a new world."
Why have we buried what lies beneath under reason and logic? A travesty. Those will never bring us the fulfillment we seek... I, too, want to go back to believing in fairy dust and tiny specks of light.
Beautiful Jeff! Living the questions and becoming one day the answer. We all return to those same stories. Is it the end or is it the beginning all over again? Who was the narrator? Bless you.
Jeff,
This is thick as a real ice cream chocolate milkshake.
Wow.! I especially love this stanza:
Sometimes, I still
hear whispers in the dark
and wonder why our wonder has been replaced with reason,
scrubbed like the decks on a ship
that will never reach a new world..
April is poetry month.
Cheers,
Shawn.
I also love the same stanza
Sometimes, I still
hear whispers in the dark
and wonder why our wonder has been replaced with reason
That’s a more introspective thought than I wrote in my song with the same title Whispers In The Dark.
Me, too. Thanks for reading, Tony. Good to see you here. Hope all is well in your world.
The only the analogy that could have possibly worked here is “thick as a real chocolate milkshake” You nailed it. bravo.
Now, I want a milkshake.
Hold Fast
I am a devoted follower of Jesus and yet I find this so powerful. Demystifying our definitions of God and Christianity. Or churchianity as it's sometimes called. I pray the one they call Jehovah will reveal himself I'm ways we can perceive and appreciate. 🙏🏽
*in
I think that’s part of the power in this piece— it doesn’t , at least to me, feel ostracizing to believers in general. It makes me think of what’s important, not what has been designated.
Totally!
Agreed!
As a religion scholar at university who has been studying religion and philosophy and art and mythology and Brian science and psychology for my whole life, it seems to me you finally believe in God. The words holy and sacred and gods and spirit etc. — all traveled in the territories you are describing here. But our culture has lost an entire category about wonder and fairy dust and mystery in any real ways. And so belief and faith became yet another stop on certainty. Another argument and idea about ourselves. Rather than being where our ideas fell apart in awe at what is in spite of us and our wants.
The work seems to be to put that understanding to rest and to hover over these other embers of our culture that most institutions and structures have encouraged us to walk away from and to notice if something catches fire under our watch.
"But our culture has lost an entire category about wonder and fairy dust and mystery in any real ways." Agreed that those are important too.
This is powerful. And yes to where our ideas fall apart “in spite of us and our wants.” It’s in this wrestling and thirty foot view that we see clearly and step out of our own way.
I think there are two ways to examine this piece of writing. You can take the text literally as an attack on faith, or if you're a non-believer, justify the position of your faith. The alternative might be that this is written as a character piece where the author is just ruminating and can't seem to come to terms with where on the continuum of belief they land. Perhaps it is simply a thought experiment, meant to simply ask more questions that it is meant to answer, because that is the most human thing to do. And on the random occasion that a question achieves resolution, a system of faith and belief can take root. Until such a time we live in questionland.
Ooh: "meant to simply ask more questions that it is meant to answer, because that is the most human thing to do."
This is more like the God I believe in too. Not far off in a distant heaven but within us all waiting to be revealed. A God of mystery, of hope but also of challenge. Visible wherever people are kind and compassionate and loving towards each other.
Ooh, high praise! And I mean that, Christine. Thank you. It seems to me that there are lots of different Christian "god"s. I think I just got tired of a certain brand. It is something like a hamburger, I suppose. For years, I thought McDonald's hamburgers were Hamburger with a capital "H"—the essence of a ground beef patty with cheese, pickles, bun, and all. Little did I know that there were deeper, more enriching versions of a burger. That, in fact, there is a whole word of craft hamburgers and vegan burgers and all kinds of other food out there in the world, all of which can nourish a hungry soul. Or something like that. ;)
I think a lot of people are going through this same kind of transition, redefining God not as critical and judgemental but loving and compassionate. I just started a podcast - the Liturgical Rebels - in which I am interviewing Christians who are redefining their relationship with God and connecting to this God of love and mystery - especially poets, artists, writers and musicians. Would love to line up an interview with you
I mean, I fit some of those categories but not all. Happy to explore it. Shoot me an email.
I really enjoyed this, thank you Jeff. It feels like a stripping away of all the layers that have been put onto the mystery and beauty and the wildness - the romance - many encounter growing up; removing the dogma that attempts to tame all that and make it all into rote religious statements - and just getting back to the wonder. I would argue that it very much feels like growing up, and in fact growing up often means becoming like a child again in these things. The last line is telling :). Appreciated this. I really think you should move into writing fiction.
You aren't the only one. We will see.
Absolutely beautiful, relatable, thought-provoking and with just enough fairy dust to make it magical.
That’s pretty good there, Jeff! I see what you did.☀️🌤️👏🏽☺️🩷
Shhh... Don't tell anyone. ;)
Thoughts and musings I share as well. I was raised Independent Fundamental Baptist, then Southern Baptist. I've spent 15 years unraveling from that belief system. Now... I have more questions than answers yet more clear than I ever was in those close minded institutions.
Jeff,
Loved your imagery, and the way you drew me in and you left me there wondering. Hmm. Actually, it reminded me of a poem I had written long ago when I was angry at God for how he works. It was a freestyle piece that let him know I had had it. And I loved the fact I did feel freedom to just put those thoughts on paper without any fear. Thanks for sharing. Anne
Thanks for sharing this. It moved me.
Another a devoted Jesus follower who resonates so much with this poem. Religion is about making rules and putting God into boxes we can make sense of. My relationship with God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit defies these attempts to quantify and control a God who cannot be conceived and understood by my human brain, much less contained. I see this poem as an invitation to awe and wonder, which is where I believe true faith begins.
Nice. I get it. #Wrestling
:)
This.
"Sometimes, I still
hear whispers in the dark
and wonder why our wonder has been replaced with reason,
scrubbed like the decks on a ship
that will never reach a new world."
Why have we buried what lies beneath under reason and logic? A travesty. Those will never bring us the fulfillment we seek... I, too, want to go back to believing in fairy dust and tiny specks of light.
Beautiful Jeff! Living the questions and becoming one day the answer. We all return to those same stories. Is it the end or is it the beginning all over again? Who was the narrator? Bless you.
"Sometimes, I still
hear whispers in the dark
and wonder why our wonder has been replaced with reason,
scrubbed like the decks on a ship
that will never reach a new world."
Damn. Melting my little atheist heart over here. I also believe in specks of light and fairy dust. Beautiful writing, Jeff.