Parakalein

I recently read Henri J M Nouen's book, Life of the Beloved.

The ending was his account of sending the book to his friend for whom he had written only to receive the honest feedback that he had not written to him, but that he had written to his religious audience.

I immediately felt the pain of being told what I wanted to do I failed at.  Then using the ideas of the book stepped out of that negative space and returned to an earlier part of the book in which a good note had been struck. Communicating is about connecting to the secular mind.  On page 18 Henri had suggested that Fred, his friend, read  the book of Ecclesiastes. A connector was offered.The next day Fred exclaimed, "I read it...I never realized that there was a place for the skeptic in the Bible..That is very reassuring".  Henri response was, "There is much more than a skeptic in you".

I got it.  I usually miss this very point so I am indebted to Henri for this book.

I get that Henri was trying to speak of faith into him.  The problem it was not there for him.   An optimistic response becomes opportunistic and misses the opportunity. The intention was right but he was not paying attention.  Fred did not believe or see it so they missed each other.

When I miss connecting to the skeptic in people by trying to convince them that there is a yearning spirit in them, my intensions are good but the effect is "I miss the mark". When I miss connecting to the skeptic in people by denying the skeptic in me I miss the mark of a great connection.  What if in that context I said, let's talk about that skeptic in you. I would like to get to know that part of you and how it lives in you. Tell me more about that part of you.  Then I could share about the skeptic in me.

I wonder who  will write that book:

"Skeptic to Skeptic" or the "Life of The Skeptic".

Could that be the first step toward the "Life of the Beloved".  We need to find connectors to people, then be willing to use those dark days to with humility speak from the darkness of light.

I have recently been through a dark tunnel of "unloveableness".  The dictionary even says there is no such word.  Trust me I lived it.

Today, I feel the light.  Ignoring the darkness does not allow the light to shine.  Letting the darkness overwhelm me has helped me to see the light in a more profound way.  There is light in the darkness.
Moses saw that in Exodus 20:21

Jesus was open hearted toward the skeptic.

I am impressed to think that when Jesus addressed Thomas about his doubting, he did not judge him but loved him.  Jesus dod not say "You gotta be kidding me Thomas, after I showed you my side and hands, offered to have you touch me, you still doubt, what is wrong with you". Jesus seemed to be unaffected by the "Lord I believe, help my unbelief" statement of Thomas. Jesus seemed to say, "Thomas I get that a part of you now believes but I also get that there remains in you a skeptic part.  That skeptic part is the part that will connect you to the world of skeptics. Now gop and preach this gospel to that world"

Instead of reproof, he is given a message, to Nouwen's point, teh message is  "You are Beloved"!  As you are, not as you think you need to be "You are loved".

Imagine!