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Jim's Jottings


 
Welcome to "Jim's Jottings" - a monthly reflection of Dr. James Kerr's meditations.

 
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God is Encircling

  [Monthly Jotting]
03/02/2010
By Perkins, Anne

God is Encircling

I have been feeling sorry for God of late, a strange place to be.
 
In one circle with which I run (figuratively), self-described spiritually sensitive people delight in speaking about their anger toward God; it is all the rage (so to speak). If you are not presently angry with God, it is important to identify a time in which you were. The longer the duration of the anger, and the more extreme the rage, the more interesting the story, it seems. Spiritually sensitive people delight in being angry with God.
 
In another circle in which I run (literally) overly busy secular people are wildly indifferent toward God; God is an interesting concept. This circle loves the concept of getting spiritual but without a personal commitment to or relationship with the Almighty. (There is a very clear relationship here between spirituality with no personal focus, and pornography, feeling good without commitment or relationship, but I do not want to think about that now). So, in this circle, God is mostly ignored.
 
Perhaps things do not change much over the centuries; perhaps there is no evolving relationally. When the Almighty got dressed down in flesh and walked with us for awhile (full of grace and truth) he was either ignored or hated; overlooked or crucified. Jesus had a tough time finding a circle in which he fit.  
 
Having been both ignored, and experiencing that loneliness, and having experienced the brunt of people’s anger, and the pain of that rejection, I am feeling sorry for God; there are so many circles that are angry at him, or do not care much.  I feel sorry for those who cannot find a circle in which they fit, the square peg thing. Jesus.
 
There is another path, of course.  There is another circle of people; peculiar, called apart, called out people. A people who are different from each other in so many ways, but beneath the surface, these people are so very much the same. There is a circle of people who do not always agree theologically, doctrinally or politically, and who often speak in a different language, but who are oriented in the same direction. A group of people, called church, who perceive the beauty of the Almighty, the loveliness of the Lord, the depth of our Saviors friendship toward we who are so often lonely and broken, and who live out these wounded lives in gratitude and love and thanksgiving.
 
And there are several surprises. The group is not that small, deeply wounded grateful people are everywhere. Further, anger and indifference are marginal options: joy and thanksgiving and love are more powerful (although often difficult) options. And this. Our Eternal Friend penetrates all the circles, indeed he is a circle unto himself; Father, Son and Holy Spirit in eternal embracing relationship. We can invite the Dearest Friend into our little circle, but wonder of wonders, breath taking reality, we discover a life changing truth: We were always in His circle. We were always in his circle. Faith is simply waking up to a circle of love that already is embracing us.

Yours in the faith,
    Jim
 

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