Parakalein

 Life and the experiences of life invite a person to develop.  What is it that develops?  In the multiplicity of experiences are only exceeded by the multiple ways in which those experiences are categorized and catalogued in the brain.

Every experience, thought, feeling and belief came into existence in response to something or someone.  Each one becomes a part who needs and wants to feel compassion and care, who fears loss of any thing, who desires gain of some kind, who sees other parts as their rivals within.  Each part like two siblings both love and hate the existence of the other.  The internal rivalry between parts and the polarities of those parts do not threaten the system but actually energize the system.  The parts however do not see this because they become “part-focused”.  The develop elaborate systems of protective parts due to fear of loss and desire of gain.

The duality of all living things provides an opportunity to welcome all living things with creative curiosity as how they can assist and desist with each other.  When any and every part is invited into the “light space” of open and creative new life emerges.  When there is an invitation to “dark space” another form of life emerges. 

Humanity begins to believe a lie.  The lie is that they have to do something or they will miss something.   The lie is that if they do nothing they are weak and fearful.  If they do not do anything they are weak and fearful.  So to prove that they are strong they eat to live only to eat to die.

Divinity knows that no matter what happens “compassion and courage” calmly and cooperatively responds not out of fear or anger but out of love and compassion.  Love indeed conquers all things, not by might and power over and against but by the presence of love and grace alongside of. 

The parakalein idea of God is of an “alongside of” posture and position.  God comes alongside of all that is an calmly and compassionately responds not our of fear and anger but out of love and grace.  God surrenders the “might is right” power matrix  to the “the right to surrender my might and power to  the righteouseness of remaining right in my heart toward all” is a dynamic shift from power over to power alongside of.  Power not proven by its thirst to be or prove it is right but the willingness to sacrifice that right to.  It is a shift from being right in the sense of correct vs incorrect to being right in the sense of remaining non-defenseive, self-protective, and self-propagating.

I have heard that said a lot of times and have said it a lot of times.  Today I am thinking not so much.

In an over and against context of living it seems to be that I have to forgive people or I need to be forgiven by people.  A part of me has been caught more than one in the dilemma and paradox of this valley.  It is the valley of forgiveness.

In that valley there is frustration, anger, fear and lament anything but peace.

As I thought about that I recalled the words of Peter,  “How many times must I forgive my brother”.  Peter had no doubt experienced the valley of forgiveness and wanted out of it.   He was no doubt tired of forgiving people only to feel that he was contributing to their continued behavior and he wanted to know when he could stop that.  When I forgive someone who has no intention of seeing their behavior as needing a “repentance job” rather than a “repair job”, I feel like I am contributing to problem.  It is not about repairing any thing it is about changing something.  Peter may have also been tired of feeling if he did not forgive he was being unforgiving and resentful.  One thing is true something had to change, for Peter.  Jesus words came paradoxically clear as he said, “70 times 7 is how many times you have to forgive your brother.  If Peter heard this literally, he could be unforgiving at 491^st offense.  If Peter heard it another way, he might have concluded, so it is not about me forgiving my brother so what is it about.

As I consider the dilemma and paradox of forgiveness, I see two things very clearly.  One forgiveness releases people from the burden of unforgiveness, and two the need to forgive burdens people with perpetuating the hurt and pain they experienced while letting the perpetrator and the victim be fragmented by both unforgiveness and forgiveness.

I have often thought about writing but as often figured, who would care about anything I would say.  I had an insecure and doubting part that agreed, no one would read anything I said.  The part even said when I die all the words and thoughts that I thought will die with me for no one will have seen them.  Then I have another part that imagines people hearing me preach or teach or reading what I wrote.  The first is the depleted ego and the latter is the inflated ego.

I have decided to create a “Would Shed” on my blog and to regularly right what I “would say” if anyone was listening.  Random thoughts as they come to me through random or not so random experiences will be the focus of these entries.

If any random thought stimulates a part of you to consider something in a new and different way, I hope the benefit will be your own stimulation and growth.

“The Other Side of Forgiveness”

You have to forgive. 

I have heard that said a lot of times and have said it a lot of times.  Today I am thinking not so much.

In an over and against context of living it seems to be that I have to forgive people or I need to be forgiven by people.  A part of me has been caught more than one in the dilemma and paradox of this valley.  It is the valley of forgiveness.

In that valley there is frustration, anger, fear and lament anything but peace.

As I thought about that I recalled the words of Peter,  “How many times must I forgive my brother”.  Peter had no doubt experienced the valley of forgiveness and wanted out of it.   He was no doubt tired of forgiving people only to feel that he was contributing to their continued behavior and he wanted to know when he could stop that.  When I forgive someone who has no intention of seeing their behavior as needing a “repentance job” rather than a “repair job”, I feel like I am contributing to problem.  It is not about repairing any thing it is about changing something.  Peter may have also been tired of feeling if he did not forgive he was being unforgiving and resentful.  One thing is true something had to change, for Peter.  Jesus words came paradoxically clear as he said, “70 times 7 is how many times you have to forgive your brother.  If Peter heard this literally, he could be unforgiving at 491^st offense.  If Peter heard it another way, he might have concluded, so it is not about me forgiving my brother so what is it about.