Sitting beneath bridges, some my own..

Since, a friend asked where all I’ve lived today in an interview, had to at least list a few cities and ways i’ve lived. I’ve lived under all sort of roofs and the lack of roof. In cars, and bars and under the stars….

Lived under many of my favorite bridges among this nation (most of which i know by name still!) and many others. Also lived in cars and parks, and beneath the endless stars…i tried to list most of the actual cities i’ve lived in for my friend, but i left out some i love the most.

I fell in love with cities when i lived in their parks and sat with them through the dark nights, met their homeless and their executives. Their poets and their governors both!

I fell in love with cities by living beneath their bridges. I sat with all the losers and listened to, and wrote, poetry throughout our nights!

Writing and talking today, about what we can learn from living everywhere in life. You start to see patterns as you go. When the convenience store opens, and when people need to go home.

You can learn lots by not living everywhere, but you can also learn a lot from loving everywhere! The world is a single live oak tree, it is also in a river–as they say!

You start to notice, what people really need as you go. To be loved, and be able to love others is basic, but there’s even more…nice to try to tell a bit of my tale today to a friend….I think he’s putting it in his homeless paper tonight under his bridge. I’ll try to get you a copy!

Most of those i’ve known, need a path as well–meaningful labor or being, as they say. Or as the old book put it, “the good works prepared in advance to be our way!”
Anyways, since someone asked….

More from praying for my friend Europe today:

Praying for the rivers in Europe today. Saw that they were being cleansed through confession (as all things do!).

So much death floating beneath, murk, so many unconfessed instances-undealt with debris—the undulate undercurrent, with debris of deaths unspoken (that’s how i heard and saw it anyway today in prayer!) Undulate under-currents of un-dealt with deaths being cleansed through confession, is what i think I saw in prayer for you today!

Praying for your rivers themselves to be baptized again, cleansed and that they become connected in the flow of good news throughout your heart, good news which clears the mind and heart of all amnesia and fogginess. I saw more in prayer for you today friend, but I’ll stop there for now.

I also dusted a few vacant watchtowers off as well today. They are tall and see far, Wisdom felt lonely there. So we sat together before anyone came. I could see the entire new world from there, and then i looked East, as your heart will do when praying….but i couldn’t yet pray into that direction fully, so I climbed down the tower and started to give the village children hugs. Praying for your children and theirs to come today. It was a weighty privilege praying for you today Europe!

I like praying for you, it helps me see you as you really are, and will be-and treat you with that respect. And I still loved you afterwards, and i still do friend.

I’m just a kid in the the new world you planted, in love with the nations and in love with you. And we are a mess, but I’m still praying your way today friends! I’m remembering for you today, until you come out of your own amnesia. I’m sitting by your bed, until you awake back into a very needed Wisdom! Just wanted you to know.

Post card to Europe from a true prayer today:

I haven’t forgotten you europe, you are always in my heart and daily prayers-I wear a ring to remind me of you hourly. It’s just that my own country is a mess right now, and needs help. As soon as i’m done, i’ll return to care for my parents! Just wanted to send you a postcard, and say thanks—I’ll see you soon! I know you are dealing with lots now also. Such a huge demographic shift happening now, and your rivers are being touched and cleansed again.

I’m praying your arts shine a way forwards for you (especially cinema, for some reason)-that they would be a headlight, or head-lamp-illuminating your way forwards- and that your heart will know comfort and Wisdom this day old dear friend. I wear you as a ring daily to remind me to honor my parents in prayer and action.

Today i kissed that ring again, and was lead immediately to pray deeply for you again. I haven’t forgotten you Europe! Just wanted you to know, someone was praying in your direction today! We are with you friend til the end!

A musical confession, outside of Bach, i listen to this type of music when writing….and it affects my costumes! Never write without a good costume on! Art is empathy!

Listening to The late great Tom Petty and brother Bob Dylan today as I was writing. Kept me rocking and lyrical! (Bit of REM and Flat Duo Jets, and the DB’s on the side, and touch of Ramones at the very end, and when i tired, Fugazi, into the Replacements-still one of my favorite bands ever- instead of coffee!)

Oh yes, at the end of the afternoon, a bit of Buddy Holly, whose grave i visited as a kid, and whose records still feel pure to me; and Chuck Berry who i got to see in Richmond once, and always respected that he drove himself to his own gigs (as i try to still!)-those two, for honesty’s sake.

I think it’s effecting my look! Good honest combo though on an afternoon of writing. Maybe I’ll go jazz tonight, or motown, and find a velvet smoking jacket. Music contains worlds.

Music is a ladder, as someone said. It’s also the atmosphere we live in, and each song implies an outfit! Each artist for me, requires a costume change, at the very least, to honor.

When i was a kid, i tried to corral the moon and stars, from that tipping red rocking horse on our patio.
I leaned back, thought i was a cowboy, and had a real lasso that i saw
could reach to the stars. I believed to see, then.
I would try to rock back and forth so fast my blood would rush to my head;
i could barely see, and then the rope would extend
what felt like forever, or until it lassoed a star or two.
Later i dreamed i became a tight rope walker between the city rooftops and the Sun–her rays were musical notes in my dream.
Same dream bigger scale, recurred over and over as recurring dreams do.
Later in art school i drew the walker between worlds
but i never forgot that cowboy kid rocking so hard to get the blood running
and hurling that rope out towards heaven
i was like that then, still am.
I like living between worlds
i like to rock fast
i like to corral stars and the sun
and listen to the music in between city and sky.
Whatever we were dreaming as kids
is still true, as it turns out.
Above and below are still connected
in dream, and we are still kids over and over
trying to rustle stars with God.

The “check you out” of God.

Once when i was younger, i was climbing up the stairs of the Eiffel tower, and I heard a voice behind me audibly say, “Check you out!” I turned, and no one was there. I laughed as I felt God’s heart in enjoying His kid climbing up the Eiffle tower. That “check you out” stayed with me in life. God’s pleasure in each of us, especially when we are doing our “thing”—check you out! I mean, check you out!!! Once that is internalized, you can, as St Augustine said, “Love God, and do whatever.” God must’ve told St Augustine—“Check you out!” That day on the Eiffel tower, when i heard God say to me: “Check you out!” changed my life.

An observation today: (from a traveling weather man!)

In San Fran, every day has everything in it-every mood turns up eventually if you wait or walk. Originally, i moved here from Boston, after attending art therapy grad school.

In Boston, you knew in the morning if you looked out the window and it was dreary, the whole day would be dreary. There was a certain predictability there on the east coast. It’s the same in Texas. You kind of know what you’re going to get each day.

In San Fran, you wake up seeing the sun, then a storm, then fog, an unexpected rainbow, then a gorgeous sunset then…everyday contains all the moods.
And it changes each neighborhood. Micro climates micro cultures, all conjoined in a small geographical distance.

If it’s foggy here, walk up two blocks and its sunny and pleasant. For those not from here, it takes some getting used to-so many seasons in one day. So many tones in one painting simultaneously.
And you sort of get used to having all the moods in one day, though winter is rarely felt, as i know it in my bones from boston and chicago and other cities i know inside.

The variability of mood each day, is an acquired taste. But once you have it in you, you sort of get used to an every-season-in each day mentality.
Normal day to day predictable weather becomes sort of boring.

Having said that, when i’m here, i always carry clothing for all sorts of weather. I do the same spiritually and culturally. You just don’t know from one block to the next, what internal and external shifts may occur. So you wear a costume ward on your body to be sure, and carry several translation of the bible.

I like that about this city. And yet, at times it can be disorienting. For me, it’s natural—i love changing costumes often during the day depending on the circumstance and what’s needed. I have a theater background.

There’s a forced fluidity to the mentality here that i’ve come to appreciate. But, then again, improvisation is my favorite medium in all the mediums.

Still, it takes a bit to get used to when you first come here. At first, it’s like having mood disorder. Nice thing about the mood disorder here, is if you don’t like the mood of the place you are, walk two blocks and it will shift, or wait less than an hour, and the whole tone will be different.

I like dealing with the whole personality of a place in one day. That way, you can choose which part is yours to bless, and know which parts bless you the most. Just a long thought in a moody city today from a traveling weather man! I learn lots from weather in places, as I go!

What is your story? Why are you interested in the topics you’ve been drawn to?

In my case the intersection of art and religion. That is where I have lived. Why. My mother is an artist my dad a minister.

All my life I’ve tried to see how art and spirituality can conjoin in Christ, or are already together in Him. I’m interested in where art and spirituality come together in an authentic way.

I’ve quested after that integration in myself and others, and the church.
I have blind spots or wounds also, where i felt rejected by the traditional church, yet i was also validated both as an artist and minister. So I’ve tried to live them as one.

My mentors have been those who have integrated their creativity with their faith in an authentic way and expression of their relationship with God.

When i was a kid, my dad used to have many artist and thinkers over to the house to do bible study and question and answer nights. Several of the artist who came, impacted my life. Noah was one, who i really liked, and who later killed himself.

I always wanted to know why Noah could not find a context for his art in the church. He was not making “Christian” art, but just making art. And I really liked his art.

When he died, i vowed to find a place for artist in Christ. I wanted to see how the church could expand its roof to include the arts, and haven and mentor the artist to be themselves and explore God through art.
That’s been my life’s theme.

I studied at Labri and other places to try to find this integration point. I also became an art therapist and worked with homeless in and outside the church, largely to experience the place where God heals people through creativity.
I’ve also always had favor in both the art and church world.
That’s been my journey.

I still work with people who are trying to help integrate art and spirituality. And have help run communities focused on that integration.
I really enjoy working with artist who desire to bring those parts of their lives together under one roof.

Giving people tools to help them bring those parts of their lives under the one enormous Roof of Christ is my passion.

I don’t like art as propaganda for God. I prefer just helping artist find and meet and be formed by God through their creative process.

My core passion is to integrate creativity and spirituality in an authentic way, which honors the unique identity of each person, and gives God room to express Himself through the uniqueness of how each person is made, and to help them integrate their creativity into their authentic spiritual relationship with God. .

The spiritual practices of prayer and making art with God–ie listening to God as you create, and responding to one another through art, are my three of my favorite practices to bring the integrate art and spirituality! This is one way in which we bring more of our stories together.

Reading cities through the letters again. It’s a good way to pray for cities as well!

Reading Paul’s letter to the Corinthians as a letter written to this city today! Helpful way of reading, and very applicable. San Fran and Corinth are very similar on many levels (both strengths and shadows!). The multiculturalism the openness to spirituality, but also the sensual carnality of Aphrodite (goddess of the seafarers or sailors) worship etc. Also, i like applying the letters to today’s cities, as we often have most of the same issues or problems, and basic needs.

To them, Paul preached the foolishness of Christ crucified, and that Jesus was both the power and wisdom of God! He was speaking to Jews, Greeks, those seeking signs and wisdom, and he chose to preach The Cross-the foolishness of God.
He asked them to work on purity, unity and told them that God would use the weak and lowly in that “high” city. Interesting analogous message for this city.

And it has the same history of carnality and quick money speculation, but also has the whole spiritual gift package. So, Paul was teaching them how to move in the spiritual gifts in order. So similar to here really. Cool looking at 1 Corinthians as a lens to look at the particular city through anyway. Each city has her gifts and shadows, and you can usually see them most clearly in the church of that city.

Serving the poor, going low and using spiritual power well, as well as working on unity and purity all seem still essential here for the city to become healthier.

The way of the Cross, in short.

Turns out, the letters of Paul are still helpful in looking at cities! At least for me. Lots hasn’t changed about the nature and needs of cities.

A little nature and marriage poem for you today! (from my front porch heart to yours!)
The possum in our front yard lumbers into hiding this morning as slow as a turtle crawls, nearly on his belly by night’s light. Then, blue birds gather and swoop for cat food-today’s hunt, just for them. Now, two doves noisily make love on a branch up above us, fresh yellow columbine flowers say yes again beside us… and we agree with yellow for the first time in a while; your left hand slips into mine, so naturally, and then within, we somehow know again, we are already one.