When a window is a mirror, you can see two ways!

‘The first characteristic of the spiritual life is the continuing movement from loneliness to solitude. Its second equally important characteristic is the movement by which our hostilities can be converted into hospitality. It is there that our changing relationship to ourself can be brought to fruition in an ever-changing relationship to our fellow human beings. It is there that our reaching out to our innermost being can lead to a reaching out to the many strangers whom we meet on our way through life’ (Nouwen, Reaching Out, 1990, Fount Paperbacks, p43)
I don’t know about you, but generally the opportunity of meeting stangers occurs when my life-routes veer in different directions. If I was to look down on my life it would probably, in a short time, consist of a similar image to that of animal tracks leading towards the only watering hole or shady tree. Over time such paths, which at first were perhaps overgrown or un-trodden become clear from above as paths, roads, ways. It is, generally, when I decide to be led not by some internal satnav but, rather, by the Spirit of God that I am led to others and through others I am drawn. This is pretty obvious stuff! However, the cultural norm is that when ones life takes a road unfamiliar or encounters a person ’strange’ the default setting can be fear, suspicion, a feeling of being alone. The response, certainly seen in the bible about Jesus is counter-cultural to this. To be led into a way as yet uncreated by my own conscious experience of it provides an image of the God who creates and embeds experience in a place where the senses are pushed to adapt and learn in an unfamiliar environment. Of course, yes, God can and does heighten the conscious awareness of the Spirit through everyday routine journeys, experiences and yet, the concept of the pilgrim, challenges the dominant socio theory that we build for the here and now. (As if such a moment can be grasped).
When does a person truly stop being a stranger in some way, anyhow?
Fortunately, the life of Jesus reveals that we can be pushed into encounters with the Spirit-edge through the desert but also in the city, on the beach. Reaching out happens, maybe, as we are prepared to not get comfortable with our conditioned-response to a given environment, situation or in challenging our daily satnav journeys.

Pilgrim or Patron

To Journey without being Changed is to be a nomad,                    

To Change without Journeying is to be a chameleon,

To Journey and be Transformed is to be a Pilgrim.

(Mark Nepo, philosopher, poet, author).

I grabbed this quote off a friend who runs a centre for the homeless and marginalized and it made me reflect on the journey I am on. Am I just settled for progressing through the Western rites of passage on my way to a residential home, stopping off at the appropriate places and moments. Following this path as one who allows life to change me in a passive way, rather than initiating, creating, being proactive in my search for change and all that encompasses. Or am I so focussed on being changed of becoming something I want to be or re-ordering what I already am that I have forgotten the bigger picture of the journey that I am travelling? As soon as the word pilgrim is spoken, all sorts of images fill the mind. Perhaps, more than anything, thoughts about monks or people on journeys of faith to sacred places. Such things can be nothing more than religious symbols and de-personalized experiences. Yet, my calling is to not remain static but to keep moving. To be transformed and allow myself to be formed rather than remaining the way I am. I am to be aware of the journey with others that I am on, as well as my own journey. A pilgrim is fluid, open, explorative, intuitive, always arriving but never there, willing, struggling but keeping on, hopeful and yet realistic, dreaming and yet earthy, needing nothing, loving and learning to love and the list goes on… to be continued…

Jesus the Backpacker

So in 2009, or there abouts, the film ‘The Aquarian Gospel’ will be making its way out of Hollywood to invigorate conversation about the Jesus that Christians do not know and the Jesus that spiritual-seekers can relate to comes to screen. The missing years when Jesus took extended gap-years to travel and thumb it on a spiritual quest to and through India and time spent in Buddhist monasteries etc. The film is based on the 1908 book by Levi Dowling and there is a movement which has emerged from it. The Aquarian age is a term I heard a lot and read a lot about when i was engaged in my pursuit of New Age practice and Idealogy. It is not my place here to go into great detail – read the book or watch the film – but yes, I would love to have more scripture around this period of Jesus’ life as I think it would perhaps reveal more of an understanding of the God who embraces and enjoys the human life and that life’s relationship with creation (encompassing everything from washing up plates to dreaming in our sleep). I am glad the film may provide opportunity to speak about what Jesus may have been doing during that period, like school, work, discovering his identity, making friends, getting sad – you know all the stuff we humans get up to! The film also reveals the popularity within Hollywood for ’spiritual-quest-themes’ in their films. Although this time it is not The Beach and its hedonistic journey into oblivion and then self-realisation but rather the founder of a major faith who finds true identity and meaning thousands of miles from his own community, at 13 years of age! Apparently, the special effects will be similar to that of the recent 300, well that should try and pull people into a film with some digitalized fight scenes if people are not that interested in Jesus.

What More Do We Need?

OK. Just watched ‘chumscrubber’ – a diffusion of teenage angst and dis-connectedness between inter-family relationships. Pill popping culture for avoidance answers, fictional computer characters replacing physical maternal and paternal links etc. Then i thought of camping, the joy of camping – no seriously i can be one in such an experience, my family by my side literally (well at night!), the seasonal clock dictating sleep patterns, the community of fellow campers and the surreal experience of such a community. We share nothing in common but our humanity and ‘hi, are you off today…ok…well take care’. Question to all is, c’mon really what more do you need right now in your life, c’mon what is it? eh eh eh?!?

OK

OK! What a good place to start, okay it sounds like the total antithesis to risk – a board game i was made to play by a mad wizard-like-thing! But OK gets us through most days – at the moment i am neither a cloud nor a stone but a mixture of both slightly near the entering phase of a dream and the coming out of a sleep! OK – a computer generated device for superficial and yet plausible responses to most questions or directives. Are we going the way of V and nanny-state (although i respect most nannies) – OK, should we stick our heads in the political oasis and sing songs about NOT looking back in anger – OK, does viruses spread and rot the land from labortaries -OK. Are you OK, yes i’m OK

Three in One!

What do Derby County, Hitch-hiking and God have in common? The answer is quite simple – lots!!!

All involve an element of mystery, being unsure of what may be around the corner. Simply intrigued by a sense of the ethereal and expecting the unexpected.

They all at the heart involve my passion mechanism working overload and reminding me of the LIFE button which sometimes is pressed and all of reality is infused with new colours and strange vibrations.

The obvious connection is going on a journey; all contain some sense of a starting point and a transient middle and then an end but not one that is final.

Less obvious from some perspectives is the element of risk – risk in emotions, risk in limits and risk in dreaming.

So, what else do you think they have in common?

Goats Rock Beach

I remember (97) getting a fantastic lift out along the californian coast road. It was strange because the guy driving seemed so similar and we had so much in common.

He dropped me by the beach and i said why don’t you come down and we can chill have a smoke because it was a cracking sunset.

When we got down to the beach it suddenly became painfully apparent that taken out of the car enviroment and the hitching context that we had very little in common.

We became strangers, spoke a different language – two people who normally would rarely communicate and so in the end we just kind of said goodbye and walked away.

How much of communication is context? Can we use certain enviroments to be someone else or to mask who we are once we step out of that distinct place? When do we make the decision that we can no longer walk in the same direction as someone else?