One of my mentors back in the day, was an artist who made long brooms with two heads. They were beautiful pieces of sculpture he would hang on the wall as installations. People often asked him about their practical use.

Julio’s brooms

He made brooms with two ends
and hung them on his walls.
people asked him why?
because it is possible to do so
i recall him answering
and they can sweep two corners at once
art is also practical.

Going old school, studying the beatitudes today! Great to re-visit them afresh! They’ve been seen as ethical ideals, but they are something more than that. Little practical keyholes into what is available! Little invitations to the party. Little koans on the Kingdom. Puzzles which require us to enter in order to solve! That way of teaching, which calls forth transformation in order to find the answer!

People have been astounded by them from all religions and in art history, and in some ways they were just an introduction to the longer sermon…(important how we use our introductions, especially if they are into a spiritual kingdom!) They really are remarkable art.

The beatitudes are like blessings from the other side into exactly where we are now. Enjoying studying them again today. They are truths breaking into being, invitations, challenges…like warm rain cracking ice.

Enjoying them today as a warm up to the holy homily on the hill! Little keyholes poked or impressed into our doors these little blessings Jesus was already offering and living from…fun and challenging hovering in them today! So much to learn and become through them.

The beatitudes are like blessings from the other side into exactly where we are now. Enjoying studying them again today. They are truths breaking into being, invitations, challenges…like warm rain cracking ice. Enjoying them today as a warm up to the holy homily on the hill! Little keyholes poked or impressed into our doors these little blessings Jesus was already offering and living from…

Out of counseling this week…how to inhabit the whole house of who we really are!

Sometimes we have to imagine ourselves outside of our wounds and others who have wounded us, and amplify the part of ourselves which is free from those external relations. Who are we outside our wounds and those who have wounded us. Can we let God see us there, and amplify our healed or more whole selves, to the point where we can forgive yes, but also to not work all our inner issues out on others. Can we reel in our projections enough to experience, own and forgive? This is one of the process of healing.

Displacing our false selves with our true selves (as God sees us, and created us to be!) is a starting point for many.

If my father wasn’t present, if my mother was controlling for instance. Can I imagine myself as someone adored, seen, validated and not controlled but rather nurtured in kindness. Can we see ourselves with true spiritual parenting. Can we start to live that out? Can we amplify our true or best self. Can we take the unvalidated or unloved parts of self and let them come into the light, in all their anger, grief and hope to become? Can we take that internal risk, rather than acting it all out through our external relationships.

This was the challenge i gave a friend this week, and am still trying to live out myself. Forgiveness is not denial of others sins, it is getting free within, so we can live more in Him, and from His Perspective of who we really are.

There is sadness and lament when we have been hurt or neglected in certain areas, but there is also new life to come in those exact areas! First we must all ourselves to be there with them, these wounded parts of self, then to imagine with and in Him what was meant to shine there. What did He intend this part to be in the whole? And then we grieve through into forgiveness of the many others who hurt us there. Forgiveness plows the soil for new growth there. Then once new growth starts we can tend how it integrates and gives life to the fuller self.

As we are grieving the unmet parts which are immature still, we can be expanding and imagining what was meant to be growing in that neglected area. This is coming at growth from the other side. What did God want me to be in that area. And if it was attacked or hurt, perhaps that could be an area of my greatest strength in the end. Paint and make art from the already healed self, to see what is meant to grow in the places of deepest neglect in life.

Eventually, the whole house of ourselves, must be inhabited by Christ. He renovates each room in order, and lets us paint and decorate them with Him. Deliverance is a process, so is renovating the whole house. Some rooms we have neglected for years, or ignored. But each is coming into the Kingdom, through inviting the Friend King in! The door to each barred room is often anger, and there is pain and grief to pass through, but each room is meant to shine as part of the whole house of who you really are!

Interesting that the last two unifying events on this continent have been natural phenomena rather than political. Something trans-political which gets our focus on a common wonder (in the case of the eclipse) or vulnerability (in case of storms) as humans. Just a note I’m taking as I go!
As the ancients used to say: “Famine makes all people hungry and cooperative.” Harsh but true. And so does a gorgeous sunset. There are different ways to come home to one another. We are all in the same boat on so many levels friends.
Both trauma and beauty can guide us home to love one another and work together as family! One or the other will eventually, it seems. And sometimes both do.

Bit more storm wisdom:
Unless your called to stay, it’s not weakness to leave the front lines of trauma. If you are called into it, then you’ll know and be in Peace, and given tools to help out and partner in blessing! That’s how it was for me at 911 and every other trauma I’ve been near (which are way too many unfortunately).
Sometimes we are called to be right in it, other times to make others safe and live some more chapters ourselves.
Neither option offers denial as an option. We have to be aware now of the whole world’s traumas, but we also have to pick our battles and healing collaborations well, so our gifts are used to bless the most people, creatures, and places possible.
A little calm storm wisdom for you today, as I was praying for friends along the Texas coast! Fun harvesting what i’ve downloaded so far in my heart. Some traumas are His alone to tend, and others He lets us help out! And grow through together.
I like the idea that not every trauma is ours to know or bless, and yet, some part of His Heart is out there working to bring Peace. Wisdom knows what’s yours to tend! Learned that much so far at least, slowly, despite myself!

A little storm wisdom today:
Storms seem to lack a sense of humor, maybe that’s why Jesus calmed them, so we could see in Him standing calmly in Peace. You have to question preachers without humor, my uncle used to say! Wise man. “If you know God, you are always slightly chuckling inside on some level.” Like a grandfather chuckles at what we get worried about as kids. Of course, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take storms seriously. Humorless things can kill you, but not in a way which kills your heart!

In my dream last night, i was traveling from city to city and country to country, but I had infinite time in each to get to know them! It was so pleasant to have no time pressure or logistics pressure, so i could just listen and really resonate with each place and it’s story! When i woke up, i thought, wow that really is one of my dreams! To get to have endless time with each person, city and nation to get to know them, and love them forever. Great dream anyways!

Some people make you look at the world with more gratitude. Others, more astutely, and accurately. Some just make you wonder more. I love borrowing my friend’s lenses, and seeing through them what I couldn’t see alone. Life is diademic. We each see in part, and each part is so sacred! Learning that again this week. How to see more whole-y, or holy.