The Unlit Way

Going Higher
How high can you go on a 10,000 foot mountain? (not a trick question) What if you want to go to 12,000 feet? How would you get there? If you are at the peak of one mountain but want to go higher, you only have one option: descend. Descend back down the mountainside, back through the tree line, climbing over boulders and logs, down into the forest to find a path somewhere, anywhere that leads to the higher peak.

Ascending means descending.
Constructing means deconstructing.
Getting to new light means going through an unlit way.

Theossynthesis
Somewhere along Jr High School, I took a Biology class and learned about photosynthesis. Its the term used to describe how plants exchange sunlight for energy. If photosynthesis describes how plants transform then maybe we could coin a new word, theossynthesis, to convey how our inner lives transform. As sunlight changes plants, so Sonlight changes us. But if the Spirit leads us to a higher peak, the only option is to forsake full exposure to the light and descend into the shadows. Trudging, hiking and laboring, for long distances we forge down looking for light, often finding only shadows. Some journey for years before ever ascending again. Yet, its the only way to get to the light. Its the only way to a higher peak.

Picture an obscure fern fighting to grow beneath the canopy of towering pines. Every inch of growth you see on that plant, deep in the forest represents an amazing resilience and tenacity. Photosynthesis is a life and death struggle at the lower elevation. Theossynthesis is as well. In the midst of this shadowy journey, I've found that every minuscule transformation is a fitful struggle. Some days light doesn't come at all. So... I go deeper. Learning and growing when light is available but also learning to adapt when it isn't. Occasionally it feels as though transformation is more about going down into the soil of myself, finding traces of God-light previously deposited, than it does to reach up, beyond myself to find it. Sometimes when the light is inaccessible for long periods of time, in humility all I can do is physically lower my head to whisper a prayer or recite a psalm to myself. Why to myself? Because in the silence of the veiled canyon I'm not even sure God is listening.

The Unlit Way
The longer I hike, the darker and more difficult the unlit way becomes. Yet, too much ground has been covered to turn back. If God only gives direction intermittently then that's what it will be. Yes, I'd like to scale a peak with Him. But, He'd like me to trudge in the shadows a little longer. I'd love to join God in a bold action. But apparently He wants me to join Him in suffering. I don't enjoy this but because I trust God, I'll embrace it.

I'll embrace...
Letting go of everything known to gain what is not yet known.
Leaving one mountain peak in order to scale something higher.
Walking deeper in the darkness to get closer to the light.

The G.I. Joe movie is to acting what Garanimals are to fashion.

Some observations...

Analogy
The G.I. Joe movie is to acting what Garanimals are to fashion.

Metaphor
A parent is the whetting stone the child sharpens his knife on.

Simile
My friend, Glenn, recently visited a lively church. He told me, "It was like watching a train wreck at a three-ring-circus."

Syllogism
I understand English
My Bible is written in English
I don't understand my Bible

Sec. Clinton's Trip to The Democratic Republic of Congo

Honestly, I'm not always sure how to encourage you to help in situations like the one that exists in central Africa. It's a very big and complex problem. I figure the least I can do is keep the most recent news on the Congo on your radar.

spring

the promise
winter's blanket
renders mute

underneath
spring waits
irrepressible

Point A to Point B People

Not in his goals, but in his transitions man is great. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have you ever driven on a highway where road construction has funneled progress down to one lane? And as you are slowly making your way past the construction site, have you ever noticed how many construction guys are working and how many appear to be watching? It seems the ratio of guys watching to actually working is about 2 to 1. When road construction guys are in the picture, there’s a lot of unnecessary waiting. In fact, just this morning I was leaving a parking lot, trying to enter a busy street. From the left side of my vision, one lone construction guy began to cross my path. One guy. He had the orange vest and hat on. The boots, long sleeves and tool belt. He was one road construction guy. I looked all around and couldn’t find anyone else dressed like him. And he just slowly strolled… all the way across my only point of outlet. I waited and thought something spiritual like, “Good grief, it doesn’t matter where these guys are, whether it’s one or many, they make you wait.”

When you see certain people in life you just know you will be waiting. Waiting is difficult because we are “point A to point B people”. We have a linear perspective. We assume point B is the goal and when we're forced to wait, we’re in between. We’re not at A or B.

In between A and B is where life happens.

In his book, Transitions, William Bridges cites three major transitional stages, which I’ll adapt here…

1. Leaving
2. Waiting
3. New beginning

All three stages are interconnected. Yes, you want the new beginning stage. That's point B. (Or at least we’ll assume its point B. In reality it might be point J but who really knows until we get there?) But to get to B you must first be willing to leave point A. (Or “end”, or “let go”. Only you know your situation well enough to know what word to use.) I firmly believe that many of us are simply not good at leaving. Can you imagine trying to drive always looking in the rear view mirror? Put another way, what do you have to do in order to grab hold of something? You have to let go of whatever is in your hand. To hint at more of a spiritual element here, you have to be willing to experience death before you can get to life. Now, here’s a crucial point…

Leaving/ending or letting go must always be processed inside out. It starts on the inside with some form of letting go of a long held belief, idea or perspective of something or someone or yourself, which in turn, triggers an external response. But it has to start on the inside. If you get that mixed up you're in for pain. You see, everyone wants to find a shortcut around the bump in the road. But, life isn’t a journey around… It’s a journey through... Your society, your place of work, your church and your family is filled with people who want to circumvent the pain of going through.

But you can’t run away from yourself.

In between A and B is where you deal with yourself. Some people never make it. What about you?