The Original Note

What you say is an echo of something deep inside of you.

Emerson is famous for saying, “Nature is emblematic of the spiritual.” The truth is everything we do is emblematic of something else… something that’s inside of us, something that’s ringing, sounding the “original note”.

When the suffering comes will it strike a chord of complaint or an intentional gratefulness?
When the accolades come will the reply be egotistical or deferential?
When the criticism comes, constructive or not, will it amplify bitterness or thoughtfulness?

What’s that note? What is it sounding? Whatever it sounds will reverberate throughout your life. Jesus said, (paraphrased) “It’s not the outside stuff that makes you unclean, it’s what comes from the inside.”

We deal too often with the echoes. We’re so focused on them. It’s understandable to a degree. We need to see, touch, taste, smell and hear. God chose to clothe us in the physical. But Jesus was always moving people from the physical to the spiritual. (i.e. healing the paralytic and then forgiving his sins, alluding to the rebuilding of the temple and its connection with Jesus being resurrected, cursing of the fig tree, its subsequent withering and the religious system dying, etc...) God is always moving us deeper, turning our hearts inward to the source. What or 'Who' is your source? Life will never be ‘in tune’ if the source is you. The echoes will be confusing and noisy. But if you’re quiet… If you’re aware… If you choose… God will sound the “original note” and then what you say and do and live will become beautiful harmonics reverberating in endless praise.

Side Effects (this post may not be for everyone including men and women)

I gotta be honest, the medical commercials where the disclaimers are twice as long as the benefits are really irritating.

• Because they’re annoying. (but I guess I already said that)
• Because the negative is highlighted.
• Because it drives home the point that we live in a society where legislation has to exist in order to force companies to be honest about their products. When you stop to think about this it’s almost unbelievable. Isn’t there some kind of Hippocratic oath that pharmaceutical/medical/drug company people take? Are they really just out for money so much that the would sell drugs without consideration of the side effects to the point that laws had to be passed to get them to communicate more accurately? (Apparently).
• Because the obvious response is, “All things have side effects.” Actually Barry Schwartz, from Seth Godin’s book “Small is the New Big,” has a more accurate way of looking at it. He says there are no “side effects” there’s only effects. Everything good and bad affects everything around it.

Life is full of effects… Full on frontals, underneaths, sides, behinds… Keep pressing on. Don't look back. Luke 9:62 (The Message) Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day."

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It did get me thinking though. What if there were disclaimers listed for all products. Here’s a sample commercial for your local evangelical church…

Looking For a New Church? Try out First Community. It’s great!
(the next part read extremely fast with a low voice) First Community isn’t for everyone, including men or women who are nursing or pregnant or who may become pregnant or a nurse. First Community may not be right for those with adverse reactions to large amounts of rules, regulations and guilt. Many members of First Community have experienced boring committees, chronically under-funded programs, and mind-numbing weekend retreats to reformulate the existing mission statement. Please consult a professional before trying First Community.