there are things beyond our ken

If something's beyond your ken, it is beyond your understanding.

So then; 'The only thing needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing':

I think that quote is from Edmund Burke and i have always liked it:

Of the two mindsets that are, broadly speaking available to us as individuals: there's the 'either/or mindset': which might also be referred to as the 'black and white' mindset: or there's the 'both/and' mindset: of the two: I much prefer the 'both and' mindset: I prefer the ambiguity: I have no problem with residing there: it's a great place: less fraught: less dogmatic: less anal.

The Greek mindset which has stolen the rabbinical mindset from us in the west: has, it seems to me, to be proven to be found seriously wanting when applied to matters of faith: this is why I advocate for dialog and a certain ambiguity: and the preferring of each other within the dialog taking place. I have no problem with not knowing.

But I really do want too know what you think: the problem is: that particular mindset is not very often reciprocated: folks spew their thoughts and diatribes all of me: or all over facebook: end their train of thought with the words: 'it is written': and we're supposed to buy that?

We have seen the enemy and the enemy is us: especially if the 'us' is on facebook: it's the arena for dialog that most resembles the carpet bombing of cities during war: it is rampant with cowardly bombast.

Really listening is now approaching extinction: an artifact and a characteristic trait of our ancestors human condition now long since gone the way of the dodo and the mammoth: that of story telling: which requires really listening: Jesus told stories

But now the skill of story telling and listening has morphed into something more akin to this mindset: 'I'll pretend to be listening to what you're saying: but in reality I am searching the deep recesses of my limited intelligence: looking for the witty retort that makes me look smarter than you: then I'll feel good about myself at your expense: and I'm fine with that: for while I beleive that God is love and that one should love one;s neighbor: I all for it: as long as I come out on top: if I dont: I'm not playing'.

These folks wanna tell you what they think and then clear off before you can offer another perspective: why is that?

We are all fallen: yet those of us 'in Jesus' are also saints

Fallen yet saints: hmm....

Sinners yet righteous: hmm....

Old Adam at war with new Adam: hmm......

The flesh at war with the spirit: hmm....

Yet in spite of the sum total of the above (seemingly) oxymoronical / dichotomous statements: there are folks who think that regardless of the above apparent 'simultaneous conditions' at work within us: that they are the ones who have it all 'nailed down': the mind boggles.

What nonsense: what hubris: what arrogance.
When did the clay become the 'arch definer' of what things mean?

The potter does that right? Defines what things mean: and the potter is called Jesus

Why is the Talmud still being written?
if there's nothing new to learn?
The simple fact is that there is always something new to learn.
Why is Yahweh still being discussed?
Because we don t know everything: that's why.

Even Jesus didn't know everything: really; it's in there: and He said this about Himself.

Alarmingly, inspite of the fact that Jesus was happy too say He didn't know everything: I have met some folks who would happily claim that 'badge' for themselves: in fact they polish it up every morning and parade around town, as if arrayed in some sort of mystically superior regalia: I much prefer the tee-shirt: Jesus loves you: but everyone else thinks you're an ( inset mild expletive) much more accurate to my way of thinking.

We can all learn something new: always: but we have to want to learn something new to actually learn something new: right? QED

In fact it is our duty as believers to engage in dialog and take a leaf out of the rabbinical tradition and approach: 'both/and': plus dialog equals the disappearance of the 'tit for tat ya boo sucks mentality': it is in fact the only grown up version of discourse: simply because: by definition: discourse is 'grown up': yelling at each other from opposite sides of the table is what we did when we were kids: a la: 'my dad is bigger than your dad': I'm rubber: you're glue........

I'm a genius: whereas you've about as much imagination as a caravan site.

But alas, the fact remains that there are too many folks who practice faith by proxy: they follow the guys who shout the loudest: regardless of the flavor and political color of the shouting: do any of us really know with absolute certainty what we vehemently claim to say we know?

I doubt it.

Once in a while taking a leaf out of the scientific mindset and approach wouldn't hurt: (when discussing matters of faith) the world used to be flat: the earth used to be at the center of the universe: when dialog and a desire to understand trumped these insane ideas: we grew up: although it took some folks a lot longer to do so than others: and these folks took longer in the name of the all seeing all knowing christianity. Oh the irony.....

Life is 'both and' : I have said this for years: and firmly believe it to be true: things that look apparently blatantly obvious may be anything but: the world used to be flat.......

But when humans walk in black and white: erroneously thinking that they can selectively sanction the 'goodness' or the 'badness' of the sin or characteristic trait under discussion: they are treading on Holy ground: and are foolish in the extreme to do so: once they pass judgment on the 'it': whatever the 'it' is: and pass judgment a few too many times: they perceive it as part of their own dominion: their 'calling' if you will: they become the oracle. As if.

What idiotically stupid bores....

We are called to be love: for God is love
We are called to be ministers of reconciliation: because Jesus reconciles us too himself:

So: if we don't smell like the 'reconcilers of love' (good name for a band that) we are out of line: not Jesus

And by the way: passing judgment once is 'a too few many times'

For the dominion of judgment belongs to God and that means the 'both and' mindset needs to be remembered and practiced a lot more: our ways are not His ways and our understanding is not His understanding and the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom: are we ever gonna buy that?

The parables were to some extent open ended: on purpose: to get folks to go away and say 'hang on a minute' what the heck was that fella on about?

All the times I have personally heard a sermon on the prodigal son: I have never once heard the preacher saying anything remotely about that story the way I see it: because my understanding and interpretation of that story comes from the sum total of who I am: just as your interpretation and understanding comes from yours: who ever 'you' are and whoever 'I' am.

One thing's for sure: ain't none of us the I AM

Dialog was by definition built into Jesus teaching and ministry: it was his modus operandi: so it should be ours.

The absolute nonsense that folks who believe in Jesus distance themselves form other folks who believe in Jesus because the 'others' hold views that are 'at variance' with their own is quite frankly beyond ridiculous. It is the ultimate 'anti Jesus' thought process: and it goes something like this: 'if you believe in Jesus you have to think about Him and all His teachings in the same way that I think about them: or you're wrong: not sound: and probably dangerous: and just plain wrong: for I am the oracle: and just plain right': ever met anyone like that? I sure have.

Too many times as it happens......

This mindset removes grace and acceptance from our human story and within the story and the interwoven-ness and interaction of God with man: it replaces it instead with assumption: condemnation and judgment:

All the things the vast majority of believers are good at: that they should in fact be useless at doing: the trouble is: when you practice stuff: over many years: you get good at it.

And if the folks who hand out the Oscars ever decide that judgment , condemnation and assumption are to become part'n'parcel of the ceremony: it would never bloody end: too many candidates

By this shall all men know that you are my disciples: by what?

By love.

We need to get good at the right stuff: right?

We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality: a single garment of destiny: MLK

It's like we never heard a word he said;

Thanks to Gregory: Clif and Peter for firing my thought processes further on all this 'stuff'

peace
love
mike