Today, despite the mild weather and taffy clouds moving through the advanced blue sky, I was not moved to joy. The drowning sensation that occurs is only heightened by the contentment of the world around- and nature always feeds this slide. There are things a person can and cannot due; these are his limitations. I am one of those who believes in endless limitations, but they require of that which does not make itself seen in this world. So then, among the world, there are finite limits to a person, and also to his spirit. Mine broke today. I have finally reached the bottom of the sinking sand- speaking of: you know that glimmer of hope a person sees as things seem to be growing dimmer? Well, that is merely the light reflecting off of the dirt that has collapsed beneath you.
I was eager, and satisfied, to be chasing happyness. But one must eventually come to terms with their limitations. I have come to that point. Now, frantically I search for the stairwell to lead me back to the ground upon which I stood previously. where though it is sometimes dark and murky, other times just dim with specks of light, I belong. Some things were not meant for me in this life, and the sad reality is not that I have realized it- that is progress- but that it took me so long to realize.
I have limitations. I hit them like they were an unseen stone wall blended into the horizon where the sun did shine.
30 August 2009
22 August 2009
Babel and the Spirit at Pentecost
About a week ago, I had a thought to look at the story of the tower of babel (of course, I had no idea why), and the immediate reason became apparent to me, and a subsequent reason was also recently revealed. I will start with the first: I am often confounded as to why it is that I do not receive answers to my questions dealing with meanings and practice- the story of babel adequately illustrates that the reason for my frustration is due to the meaning with which I search, or the intent I have while searching. The story of babel has to do with man's attempt to attain a level of divinity, to be themselves as gods, and I believe this is the reason for my confounding. I am not searching to uphold or reveal his glory, but to attain for myself a level of divinity or glory (sad, I know).
The second reason for having looked up this story came to me the other day as I was pondering verse 6 (in bold below), but it only makes sense when combined with a story from the Book of Acts (the holy spirit comes at pentecost) which immediately follows in this entry.
Genesis 11
1And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
2And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
Acts 2
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
13Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine.
The bold verse from Genesis essentially says that when the people are one and speak one language, that is to say that when all men are able to understand each other, there is nothing to stop them from accomplishing anything they have imagined to do. This ties well into the Acts verse, I think. When disciples of Christ are able to speak to men in tongues (all being able to understand) there is nothing that they cannont accomplish. So with the gift of the spirit, being attained through belief in Christ Jesus, and for the purpose of furthering the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. It does seem that perhaps more should be said, but I find the correlation to be relatively evident and simple to understand. Still, though, it feels incomplete.
The second reason for having looked up this story came to me the other day as I was pondering verse 6 (in bold below), but it only makes sense when combined with a story from the Book of Acts (the holy spirit comes at pentecost) which immediately follows in this entry.
Genesis 11
1And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
2And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
Acts 2
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
13Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine.
The bold verse from Genesis essentially says that when the people are one and speak one language, that is to say that when all men are able to understand each other, there is nothing to stop them from accomplishing anything they have imagined to do. This ties well into the Acts verse, I think. When disciples of Christ are able to speak to men in tongues (all being able to understand) there is nothing that they cannont accomplish. So with the gift of the spirit, being attained through belief in Christ Jesus, and for the purpose of furthering the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. It does seem that perhaps more should be said, but I find the correlation to be relatively evident and simple to understand. Still, though, it feels incomplete.
08 August 2009
Puddles and Oceans
I woke up today, and after shaking off the cobwebs, I found myself to be in a particularly spiritual mood. Like most days, I tend to find more trouble and friction in the pursuit, and this leads to uneasiness and frustration. Today, it seems, I am so full of words and thoughts that a proper order should not make itself clear, and the resultant clutter would make itself seem an ocean from a puddle (A good place to start, I think). And so are the words of God, Christ, and the Apostles. The Bible is an ocean from a puddle. By this I mean not to say that the book itself is inconsequential, not that too much has been made of this book, or any other connotation being negative, but rather that from something small comes something larger; from a word:meaning; from a book of His words:endless meaning. It is like the parable of the mustard seed: It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.- Luke 13:18-19"
So that in any word there is multiple meanings, and in any passage there is a power of meanings. This is why it is said: "11The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd. 12Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. -Ecclesiastes 12:11-12"
I shall end with this final train of thought: From the word of God came creation in its entirety: from the smallest to the largest, from the seen to the unseen. The world we see is large froom where we look, and small in comparison to the depth of the universe, and still we do not see the completeness of His word, of His work, and yet, we are swimming in it.
So that in any word there is multiple meanings, and in any passage there is a power of meanings. This is why it is said: "11The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd. 12Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. -Ecclesiastes 12:11-12"
I shall end with this final train of thought: From the word of God came creation in its entirety: from the smallest to the largest, from the seen to the unseen. The world we see is large froom where we look, and small in comparison to the depth of the universe, and still we do not see the completeness of His word, of His work, and yet, we are swimming in it.
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