I’m only in the moment—what you got is what I am
and hopefully closer to what actually is.
I can’t reproduce it or conduce it to say something else.
You and I will have to live in relationship to know one another.
I’ve committed myself to that.
I can’t know you any other way!
Let’s call it love what we share
why not. It’s not clique, it has become
essential actually, each day. So here i am, hanging over another line in time..
let’s play together as we are
until that bright and morning star
starts shining more overtly
into the hearts of what we are!

“Two voices speak daily in our heads and hearts: one is an accuser who tears us down, and mocks our being; the other, an Encourager who speaks in the endless Tone of Love. Which we listen to, is hourly up to us. And somehow determines, which we speak to others, as well” Let’s keep finding the tone of Love friends, towards ourselves and one another! And when we can’t, be silent.

From an interview i did last week. The fellow asked, “What would you say is your core question?” Nice question! After joking about, questions like, why is their everything instead of nothing, and what was God doing before the world, i actually managed to answer:

“My core question in life is always: how to find God’s autobiography in everything, and collaborate with it! I’m interested in discovering His Identity in other’s identities. So, I always ask….

What part of God is being highlighted in this person, place or thing; this art, this city; I then, enter there, and help pronounce and amplify it. I see the universe as an Autobiography by God, which we get to help write. In that sense, we are all ghost writers in collaboration, co-authors.

Where is God in this situation, and how can i help complete His Thought about Himself!

Where is God in this, and how can I discover, then help complete His Thought about Himself He is trying to express! That’s always my basic orientation.”

“If we allow the enemy of life, to make this a gender or race issue, we are more lost than before. If we can’t see all of us are in need of Grace and forgiveness, all people have fallen short of the glory, as the book puts it, we fail. If we allow the enemy of life, to make it a racial generational, gender or even national issue we are also all lost. And doing exactly what Adam and Eve did again. If we, instead humble ourselves, as all common sinners before a Living Transformative God, we may become useful to one another as a family, and be part of his grand expression, and reconciliatory dialogue! Be careful where you throw your stones, they will be used for own headstone!” Anonymous Monk

My core question in life is always:
What part of God is being highlighted in this person, place or thing; this art, this city; I then, enter there, and help pronounce it. I see the the universe as an Autobiography by God, which I get to help write.

Finding your core method questions! What questions form your lens?

Certain questions aren’t your own yet.

Intergenerational dialogue!

Helped facilitate a talk today about the gifts of each generation, and how they are meant to work together in the overall narrative. I think of generations less as age, and more as “generations of purposes”. What this might require on all parts, but also where it could take us in the long epic poetry we are all part of. When i go to a cafe i like sitting at long tables with many generations—the conversation is just richer when we bring more perspectives to the table.

Great interview, went well, will put it up as soon as edited! I’m very interested in inter-generational dialogue and what it looks like when we work in tandem across generations. I like sitting at the table with all ages, and all generations of His Purposes, and thinking about how they are meant to work together! Inter-generational dialogue is one of the missing ingredients in our independently spirited times, i think. Me, must become we, as we get older!

Usually there are at least three generations working at once on earth; interesting to think of how they are meant to co-bless one another into fruitfulness and fulfillment of their unique purposes! How we can see ourselves as humble participants in a grander multi-generational narrative!

What were the gifts and calling of your generation, how does my generation fit into and bless the other’s fulfillment, is often a starting question. What is my generation’s role in the overall narrative? Where have I used my own generation’s gifts to bless the others in both directions-those older and younger?! I’ve had many dreams about this topic in which i was blessing the elders, hanging out and validating peers, and teaching and guiding the ones to come–that balance is part of the calling of my own generation, i think!

What are the unique shadows and strengths of my own generation, and how have they helped or hindered inter-generational conversation? Is another useful lead heart question!

Have I actively sought out those older than me, to bless and honor. By doing so, i make a clearing in the forest of spiritual growth for those behind me! And, if we believe the great commandments, get the blessings of health, long life and meaningfulness. Fun thinking about how to bless each generation into it’s full expression, and how they are meant to work in tandem!

Fun interview, fun and useful meditation for our times! This theme keeps returning in my daily experience, as I often find myself sitting between two generations and having to translate. I like being a translator between cultures and languages and generations.

That is perhaps one of my own generation’s callings. To be interpreters, translators, those who understand the overarching story we are engaged in becoming! Fun trying anyways! And a blast as always facilitating conversation between the generations! I love being the comma or coda in between, and sensing and piecing (Peacing?) together the whole long narrative song!

Just some raw notes from today’s study of Judaism, specifically their views on Nature, God and what to do as humans while here.

Fun studying judaism today, particularly how their view of God effects and informs our view of nature and what to be doing while here on earth! One cool take away: physicality or matter is good, and in need of tending; another, since God is loving and not capricious, we are given choice to love or not. It matters how you see your God, and judaism didn’t invent monotheism but they articulated the character of the One Most High God. Nice objective chapter also from this religious studies father on a people and religion which changed the world. A few other take aways:

For instance, the implications of the Oneness of God (the daily Shema prayer): God is unity with diversity. God is Whole. God is social and integrated; so is an adequate model for society even. We are like God-ie in His Image. This tells us things. God is also Love itself. God is good. This last simple statement, is a huge gift of Judaism. If God is social, loving and desires wholeness, then we find ourselves living accordingly!

If God is actually good, then we can relate and choose goodness. We are free to choose life as opposed to death, to choose meaning as opposed to chaos or nihilism. If we suppose that God is good and loving and personable, it changes how we live, in short! If God is a loving kind father like Being, then…

How we look at God and life effects what level of meaning we end up living with.

God is One, Judaism claims, so has order and unity in Himself and creates things to have this same integration in identity. This sense of purposeful integration of complexity with unity (as all good art theories claim is essential to good art! Or living, i would add). And as such is unifying us. We are being integrated, because He is integrated in Himself! We are being reconciled to our true selves, being conformed to His, and therefore our true images.

He is also relational even within Himself, thus, we grow in relationships. Why do we find ourselves constantly in need of real or authentic relationship with others? Judaism claims, because God is relational. Even before humans, there was a grand collaboration going on, which we oversee and hear in Genesis. The Father, Son and Spirit are making things up together early in the book! God is creatively social, so are we.

So we return in this context to the old question: is matter evil? Is our “stuffness”, our physicality, the molecular biology of earth and our bodies and daily lives, inherently a bad idea? The Jews, say no! He created stuff, and said, it was good! Nice reminder that the earth as well as our physical bodies are declared good. Yet, in need of creative stewarding!

Nature and the physical body are declared good and we are to steward them. Interesting orientation to nature. Not worship or merging, but tending-a loving relational model of our orientation towards Nature.

Not to worship nor to become it but to relate to it in a fruitful and fruit bearing way. To help complete kratos nature.

The Jewish God is like this. And challenges us with that buoyant attitude about physicality. As Christianity extended it, let your kingdom come ON EARTH as it already is in heaven!

Looking again at our proper orientation towards physical nature, including our bodies. Fun study, I’ve been having for many years, starting at L’abri—what is our orientation towards our bodies and the physical earth, supposed to look like; how do we govern the material from the spiritual, and how do the two realms interface?

And then, the kind implications of a loving father, inferred and in some sense proclaimed by Judaism, a friendly father God, one with tuned in care to each person and creature (one who takes note of each sparrow) rather than a capricious God (as many of the surrounding cultures had) are equally and buoyantly calling us to be here in daily experience, collaborating with Him in the daily experience of making things more whole, complete, singing the song of itself!

If God is loving and personable, then we are those in loving relationship, we are daughters, sons, friends of God. This is still a radically approachable version of The Ultimate! And it affects how we live morally, if we see ourselves as truly loved and in active dynamic transformational relationship! How we live morality, how we treat others daily, depend and usher from your view of what God is actually like. Especially, if you believe we are creations in His Image. What type of image are we created in, so meant to be? Is one of the great questions of this great tradition of faith!

The Jews didn’t invent monotheism, but they did say lots about the character of this one most High God. And how that loving character effected how we actually are to live. If you really open heartedly explore what Judaism brought to the human table, it’s humbling and awesome. I love studying the gifts of this faith.

For the love of the body, soul and spirit of things, some gleanings from my Jewish studies this week! I love studying the basic premises about life-who we are, what we are doing here, how to relate to what is outside of us, all, which effect how we live!

Studying Judaism today and looking at what set their view of God, nature, and humans apart. Good study, as I love thinking about how the physical body and care of the earth fit into our basic spirituality!

I especially like looking at the jewish and christian views of Nature and our physical bodies—seems like a neglected area! Soil sight and skin—as I often say. The earth, the imagination, and the physical body—three needed areas of conversation while here! I like the Jewish premise that the earth is good, and we are meant to help complete it.

In a world of pluralistic religious views, good to consider which ones seem true to what actually is! What makes us the best humans with meaning and purpose towards our settings, including other people, the earth and our creativity! Fun study today!

Good contrast also with the chinese view of nature as presented in the Tao de Ching (great collection, but very different version of the physical world)-bit more of a hands off merging with version; and i’m not capable of dialogue with it, sort of thing; humble yourself before nature, rather than learn to tend it, as tending would be dominant-and you see this playing out in Thoureuo and the american enlightenment folks-Emerson etc; a fear or the word “ruling”, which was originally, in a Jewish context, more “ruling with God in order to make more mutually fruitful!” (we still fear that ruling is always abusive!); rather than i’m being informed as to how to take care and complete it, but i am given authority to do so. Regardless, your cosmic premises-how you actually picture God, effect how you treat nature, yourself and others.

I love comparing religions and considering the fruits of their implications in a practical daily way. Why and how to take care of the earth, our own bodies-how to live an incarnate spirituality-is still a good question. This is true, especially if you extend it into Christianity, where you have an overly incarnate God. But good studying the roots of Judaism to discover why to care for the earth and one another, in daily practical incarnation ways!

Fun to look at it freshly today, through my Jewish studies!

Reading Hebrews today:
The letter of Hebrews is basically saying—fix every thought and action in who Jesus really is. Let every thought end in Him, and you will be able to interpret Reality, and of course the sacred scriptures about it. Of course, the letter is talking about something it is also modeling. Every single passage ends with something about Jesus’ Identity! Great little letter—re-studying it today! Very Jewish of course, as it could be named, “Jews”. But is open to all. Takes Jewish metaphors and grounds them all in Jesus identity, and completion of the symbol. Interesting way of interpreting things, and emphasis. Here is the higher or more complete version of that symbol in the Torah, the writer again and again insists! Let every idea trail into the Reality of Christ, and you will understand things, even your own scriptures! Jesus completed all the symbols which were begun in the Old Testament. He is the completion of God’s symbols on the earth, the exact representation! Great angle, i think!

Sat with a group of people who were mocking Christianity last night. It was sort of refreshing that they had such strong feeling about it! Interesting, as people’s religious views often come up when i sit down at a table. Interesting also that not one of their complaints had to do with Jesus Himself—all had to do with their experiences with organized church or christian institutions.
Bad experiences, mainly with church, had turned them away from the christian way.

I often end up asking people something like: I see that you don’t like christianity, but what about Christ? What’s your experience with Him.
In my own life, i had to separate the cultures of his followers, from Him Himself in order to have an authentic encounter. Only later, did i get His Love for His People, which i think has to get imparted from Him. We wouldn’t naturally choose most christians to love, that would be radical: like loving your enemies. And most of us can’t self-muster that much love.

Always leads to interesting conversations, when you actually start talking about Jesus Himself-who He was, what He taught etc. Last night, i also asked the group how their meditation, yoga and buddhist practices were working for them in life. Some where very honest about parts of their spiritual practices they liked and didn’t—all of them practiced something.

Did they find themselves living more fruitfully, morally etc—loving others as ourselves. We all agreed that the golden rule applies across the board. And that Loving others still mattered. My question as always is what empowers your ethics, is it religious practice or union? Etc. Good talk. I enjoy talking practical spirituality with people. As, we are all spiritual, and have core needs there.

Another question i like to ask mixed groups is: how do you measure spiritual growth in your personal practices? How do you know you are developing spiritually?

Sometimes I’ll start with:what is your Ultimate—the nature of your Highest? IN other words, sometimes I’ll start with The Father; but last night everyone wanted to talk about Jesus. Nice.

Once, you peel back christian culture, which is actually different everywhere, and throw a light on religious spirit, versus Christ’s Spirit, you end up in fruitful talks. (Religion and Racism actually killed Him, after all, so He understands legalism of every form).

I’m not really an evangelist, more of an arts counselor, myself. I just like facilitating good conversations. I like people, and what makes them more whole. So that was a fun night for me. Usually I’m with some of my Jewish friends, but last night, we had a table full of buddhist, some forms of new age, and a few adamant anti-all religions, but who meditate regularly. Nice mix!

One thing I’ve noticed repeatedly, is the conversation changes when Jesus shows up at the table! I like watching those moments-even the atmosphere shifts in the other realms-the fragrance changes. Some things get more volatile others more peaceful, depending on what gets stumbled on! Sort of like the angels etc already know who He is.

Cool observing this repeated dynamic. Anyways, I think most people have lots less problems with Jesus than the do christianity. I get that.

My kinda conversation last night, anyways! Thankful to be in the open dialogue in our times. As my Jewish friend often says, in the end, we are just people trying to be people!

Sat with a group of people who were mocking Christianity last night. It was set of refreshing that they had such strong feeling about it! Interesting, as people’s religious views often come up when i sit down at a table. Interesting also that not one of their complaints had to do with Jesus Himself—all had to do with their experiences with organized church or christian institutions.

Bad experiences, mainly with church, had turned them away from the christian way. I often end up asking people something like: I see that you don’t like christianity, but what about Christ? What’s your experience with Him.

In my own life, i had to separate the cultures of his followers, from Him Himself in order to have an authentic encounter. Only later, did i get His Love for His People, which i think has to get imparted from Him. We wouldn’t naturally choose most christians to love, that would be radical: like loving your enemies. And most of us can’t self-muster that much love.

Always leads to interesting conversations, when you actually start talking about Jesus Himself-who He was, what He taught etc. Last night, i also asked the group how their meditation, yoga and buddhist practices were working for them in life. Some where very honest about parts of their spiritual practices they liked and didn’t—all of them practiced something.

Did they find themselves living more fruitfully, morally etc—loving others as ourselves. We all agreed that the golden rule applies across the board. And that Loving others still mattered. My question as always is what empowers your ethics, is it religious practice or union? Etc. Good talk. I enjoy talking practical spirituality with people. Sense, we are all spiritual, and have core needs there.

Another question i like to ask mixed groups is: how do you measure spiritual growth in your personal practices? How do you know you are developing spiritually?

Sometimes I’ll start with:what is your Ultimate—the nature of your Highest? IN other words, sometimes I’ll start with The Father; but last night everyone wanted to talk about Jesus. Nice.

Once, you peel back christian culture, which is actually different everywhere, and throw a light on religious spirit, versus Christ’s Spirit, you end up in fruitful talks. (Religion and Racism actually killed Him, after all, so He understands legalism of every form).

I’m not really an evangelist, more of an arts counselor, myself. I just like facilitating good conversations. I like people, and what makes them more whole. So that was a fun night for me. Usually I’m with some of my Jewish friends, but last night, we had a table full of buddhist, some forms of new age, and a few adamant anti-all religions, but who meditate regularly. Nice mix!

One thing I’ve noticed repeatedly, is the conversation changes when Jesus shows up at the table! I like watching those moments-even the atmosphere shifts in the other realms-the fragrance changes. Some things get more volatile others more peaceful, depending on what gets stumbled on! Sort of like the angels etc already know who He is. Cool observing this dynamic. Anyways, I think most people have lots less problems with Jesus than the do christianity. I get that. My kinda conversation last night, anyways! Thankful to be in the open dialogue in our times. As my Jewish friend often says, in the end, we are just people trying to be people!

Enjoyed contacting the religious studies department at my university and connecting with old friends and professors today. Got to talk with several old friends working on really interesting ecumenical projects locally and globally!

I like their basic mission statement still, especially the idea that spirituality is a universal issue with transcends politics and governments and so is worth looking at as a human issue and need.

Hard to frame religion in a non-contentious way these days, but this school has done a nice job of keeping an open dialogue and at the same time allowing professors and students to be in their own traditions and personal practices.

Not an easy balance in an increasingly polarized world.
My favorite professors, who became friends, are working mainly on how art and spirituality get along or are brought under the same roof, which is mainly what drew me.

But I also studied under Rabbi Spiro in Jewish studies, great teacher and local rabbi. And was able to go much deeper into the Jewish roots of Christianity!

Good re-connecting to my old school friends today, and considering healthy places of spiritual dialogue especially in these volatile days!

They have a talk next week on muslim jewish relations in the US facilitated by an old friend. Would love to be here, as a fly on the wall to hear where Love converses in that conversation!

I’m glad I was drawn to identity, art and spirituality and where they intersect, even back then–still am! Glad some of my old professors are still telling the tales and asking the right questions for so many years!