God Doesn't Make Commercials

Spirituality works differently than I always thought. We are so used to being begged to buy things right, left, and always that below the steady verbal flow of our conscious thoughts, we assume, God must work the same way. We picture him as the admen on Madison Avenue who wine and dine and puff and pitch till they work us into a wanting frenzy or we shove them out of our living room with the push of a button. But God does not make commercials. He’s not trying to sell you something. He doesn't send out mass emails. He won't clutter up your mailbox with piles of paper suited only for starting fires in your hearth. He’s not going to coerce you into closeness with Him.

The Great Father invites. He is inviting you into real life--into joy and friendship and intimacy with His pure-love self, and His people are the instruments of this invitation.

For most of my life I operated under the assumption that if God really wanted something to happen, then He would make it happen. If He wanted me to know something, He would make it so obviously apparent that I couldn’t miss it. I’m not sure where this perspective came from, this idea that I was just an observer whom things happened to. My disposition was, and in many ways still is, to think of life as a passive event and myself an ineffective agent within it. Maybe you can relate to this. I’m daily working to live the opposite of that--to be an active agent with my will. That’s what I am. It’s what we all are.

Several places Jesus uses an odd phrase usually translated, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.” I was puzzled by this saying for the longest time, not really understanding what he was trying to say. When I read it in Greek for the first time it made a lot more sense and served as a catalyst for me taking a more active approach to life--with God and in everything else. To explain it more fully I would translate this phrase as, “You have ears, they were made for hearing, so understand what I’m saying to you.” I always read this as “some people have ears who can hear what I’m saying, let those people hear and understand...the rest of you, well, better luck next time.” But that’s not at all what’s going on here. The latter part of this phrase is not a suggestion or idea. It’s not something he'd like a few people to do. It’s an imperative -- a command to all.

Jesus is inviting us, very loudly, to run after the treasures he has hidden for us to find. Walking with Him is like a kid on walking through the forest with his best friends on a treasure hunt. Just like the Proverb says: “It is the glory of God to hide a matter and the glory of kings to seek it out” (Prov. 25:2). There is a powerful distinction here: God doesn’t hide things from us, He hides things for us. You were made to uncover wonderful things throughout the adventure of your life. And through the process of discovering them we are made into kings and queens.

So look for Him, call to Him, seek His leading, His voice, His Word, His people, His truth, His reality, His Spirit to fill you up to the point of pouring out and spilling over. And don't stop after a few minutes, don't even stop after an hour, or a day, or months, or years. We’ve been trained by our inta-everything culture to have pleasantries beckon us towards them, but life is not meant to be a passive event. Go seek and knock and ask.  He is ever seeking to know and be known by you. There is ever more of Him to discover for those who will continually engage with Him in this mysterious thing called life.

A Dialogue with Dad: Learning to Listen in Prayer

As I've mentioned before, I believe an important part of prayer isn't just asking, or even thanking--it's listening. What might the Father be trying to tell you this afternoon? The other day I asked Him that question and was somewhat surprised with the answer! The following dialogue served to encourage me greatly, but the words He has for me are for you, too--and I hope you find encouragement in them as I did.

Bowing Your Knee

Eph. 3:14:

“Because of His gift, I bow my knee before the Father...”

As I walk through the week, I find my self worrying about what this or that person thinks. NPR or NBC, or some other combination of acronymial letters convinces me of what’s important that’s going on in the world and what should dominate my thoughts and feelings. I find my self constantly thinking about the news that flashes at me from my phone or computer screen. My ever-growing “to do list” constantly begs for my attention: at work, at home. I’m too distracted to notice that my whole life is hidden under the shadow of all these things I’ve deemed “important.” All these “important” things press me down. I’m supposed to filter through it all to find what’s worth my time and attention. But I’ve bowed my knee in too many places. What do I really know?

Our Heavenly Father is the only one we should ever bow a knee to, the only one to whom it’s appropriate to submit our whole selves. He knows all. He knows our hearts and futures, and dreams. He placed in us the beginnings of the great beings we are meant to become; much of which has yet to poke the beginnings of a sprout through our soil. When we bend the knee of our souls to Him we are empowered to do, dream, and become all that we were made for.

He is the One, the Mighty One, who loves and lifts up with His power. There is no other who can do what That One does. He is The One our hearts bow down to and in so doing, grow fully alive, fully their selves.

He is all. He is glorious. He is your Tender Loving Father who carries your best interest dear in His heart. Come near to Him. Receive His High-Father heart into yours and bow your whole self before Him. Take no other in that highest place that so many vie for every minute of every day. There you are His Beloved, child, daughter, son. There you are His low precious humble one. There He loves to lift you up to where you are seated with Him, in Heavenly places.

Thanks-giving

One of the greatest keys to a joy-filled life is practicing the art of thanksgiving. I’m not talking about the feasting and fun holiday quickly headed our way, I’m talking about the daily habit of gratitude. Even science has shown that the people who express gratitude the most end up being happier because of it. Gratitude puts on display the condition of one’s heart and the trajectory it’s taking. And, as I've recently discovered, we have a great deal of control in these matters.

I once spent a semester delving deep into the Apostle Paul’s letters where I read all of them three times in three months. I was taking a course on the subject from a brilliant scholar from whom I learned a great deal, but one thing struck me in that process that has altered me to this day: the command to always be grateful. It’s not a suggestion, it’s not even an encouragement--it’s a command.

I hadn't thought of gratitude as a command before--something to diligently hold to and actively do. It’s the result of good circumstance right? When good things happen you’re grateful, when bad things happen you’re disheartened and upset. I am affected by my circumstances. Some things hurt, others bring joy where they tread, and I can’t change how things make me feel. Some people are ‘Glass half full’ kind of people, others ‘Glass half empty.’ That’s what I’d always thought.

But Paul has other thoughts on the matter. He tells his readers to, “Be grateful in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:18). “And in all that you do, whether in word or work, do it while giving thanks to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17). The verb “give thanks,” εύχαριστέω, comes up 38 times in the New Testament! Here’s a list of several. The point? Thanks-giving is not an option you can chose to leave on the table uneaten if you want to live full in the Kingdom. You must feast on it daily. Breathe it in and speak it out. The air on Earth contains 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.039% carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases. These are vital elements which keep our bodies pumping life through our veins. The air of Heaven similarly carries life throughout our soul but is made up of different substances. It’s 57% adoration, 38% gratitude, and a mixture of other elements too ineffable for human language at the present time. Breathe Heaven’s air and you invoke life to be on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Life and death are in the power of the tongue. You get to choose what you cultivate in your soul. Choose to be thank-filled. Choose life. Choose to thank God for every little detail of good in your surroundings with your first thoughts of the day, everyday, mingled with all your thoughts, all throughout the day. There is joy to be had, by goblets and gobbles when you sing the song of thanks-giving.

***** Rejoice all the time, pray unceasingly, and in every moment give thanks. This is God’s desire for you as you live in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thess. 5:16-18 (my translation)   ******

Up, Up, Away It Flew...

Up, up, away it flew,

    Her blue balloon of reddish hue.

For she let go, and in stead grew,

    A fresh young sprout, now well past due.

Crisp, country air let fly,

    Her spindling wisp, chasing off the dry.

Refreshment spurred an un-called sigh,

    Forgiveness found her how and why.

Let loose the bitter thoughts you hold.

     Release the past, set free the old.

Pray good for them, there you'll find gold.

     Come breathe the country air,

You'll see.

On Fear

        

        Do you think Kate is mad at me? She sounded so irritated with everything I said!

        No, she just gets like that sometimes. She's probably just had a shitty day or something.

        I don't know, she hates it when I bring up ______.

        Everything in the world thrives when it takes root in its proper place and all things grow into tyrants when they live where they were never meant to take a single breath. Fear is no exception. For the longest time I couldn't understand this. I only knew fear in the context of spiders, sharks, and scary movies. Fear was the unlit side of a dark schoolhouse, the shadows you hide from and scurry through. But then I saw fear in a place so odd it knocked all my preconceptions on their heads.

        "The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Prov. 9:10)

        The first time I read this I pursed my lips, wrinkled my forehead, and pondered the thing 'til I had to move on, with only more confusion to show for my efforts. I would hear "the fear of The Lord" preached from the pulpit but not know what to do with it. I knew Jesus was loving; was God the Father of the Old Testament someone you wouldn't want to upset because you might piss Him off? Is that what this 'fear The Lord' thing was all about? That doesn't seem like my good God. For years I had no idea what to make of it.

        But I kept coming back to the idea that everything has its proper place. A son who has no respect for his mom or dad becomes the tyrant of a home. A daughter who cares only for pleasing her self quickly grows into quite an uncomely creature. We are the children of God. To grow up well, we need to fear displeasing Him. He has the right perspective on everything in life. He was, before time began. He spoke time and every universe into life. We see but a few short decades through our tiny scope of experience. He perceives all time through every perspective. His desires are the ones to be afraid of walking against. His delights shine fullest joy into the essence of everything they touch. Pleasing Him is the most beautiful object our minds could ever focus on. That sounds strange to our current culture's ears, I know, but remember how he's made us. His joy is to bring us joy, to raise all that exists to its complete maturity, and make us creatures capable of reigning over creation with Him, below Him, to serve and uplift all that is and is not yet.

        Fear with any object other than God only ever leads deathward. When we fear peoples’ thoughts and opinions we get caught up in a furious tornado that tosses us around until we are so disoriented we don't know which way's North. But when we are blown by the Wind of God, His Holy Spirit, we are floated to fresh lands, rich and nourishing. Fear of anything but God is a shackle that keeps us tied to failure. Jesus comes to set us free, free to fear one thing: walking our day without God's voice and presence, alone. It is here that we are free to run into our true identity in Him. It is here that we find life, here that we grow into adults who know light from dark, death from life, nourishment from slow poison. And it is here that we are free to live fully alive. Don't get me wrong, fear is not our focus, not a major player in our thought lives and days. What I'm describing is the only place fear can fill the purpose it was made for. It was not made for us to stress about what our friends think of us, or obsess about whether we’ll succeed in our career, or even necessarily to tremble in the face of danger. Fear has only one good place.

        I see you now Fear. You hold the wide boundary, the border between Love and Death. You are the darkness outside the light that keeps me looking bright full into the radiant face of Love. Keep your place, come not in me. I will fix my eyes on the one who loves--what's more, the one who is LOVE, who defines love, the only one who fully knows all that word contains. I will live in Love. Fear, know your place. Keep your border well.

The Hello Prayer

   

    The easiest prayer, most simple to say, is the single word, "Hello."

     Prayer so often sounds like an arduous hurdle we must skillfully leap over to reach a feeling of peace and closeness with God. My list of tasks piles up so high most days that connecting with God just sounds like another chore I must accomplish somewhere along the way. My soul gets overwhelmed as my mind races through all that needs to be done until I remember,

     “Oh! Hello!”

     He’s already here with me. There's no special incantation to chant, seven times, in just the right order, to get God's attention. No. He is here all the time. He is ever present, ever near, ever waiting for me to be present with Him. I can be, if I simply say,

     “Hello.”

     My mind gets cluttered with the countless tasks of the day, and the many days ahead. So much to do, so much I should be doing that I'm not. But I say Hello, I turn to Him mentally and spiritually with that word, and He reminds me,

     "Wait. Don't worry. Just focus on the tasks I assign you today. Still your soul's racing pace. I am here. I will walk with you through every task. Don't let your own thoughts carry you off without me. I will carry you in my arms, Peace and Joy, through every place you need to go."

     Hope stirs in my soul. Ah, He's right here. I can start with praying continually. I can talk to Him. I can listen to Him no matter what’s going on around me. I can access Him any time I want, if I simply say,

     “Hello.”

Loving Him Wholly

Four Loves, Two Camps

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was He gave a straight forward answer containing far reaching implications, “Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind, and the whole of your strength (Mark 12:30).” Priority #1: love God with the whole of your self, every part. This is the stated commission of every Christian.

Unfortunately, in my history with the Church, I've seen few embody a lifestyle of loving God with the whole of all four of these aspects of their self. We're not loving, and there not living, fully. Though there are a myriad of different denominations within the Church the majority of them boil down to two camps. Some do a great job of loving God with their whole heart and mind and strength, but aren't so great at loving Him with their whole soul. The other camp, focuses on loving Him with their whole heart and soul with all their strength. It is a rare thing to find people who steadfastly pour each part of their self into loving God fully, but she is a powerfully invigorating woman to encounter. 

Two Camps

  I grew up in what I call the ‘strongly intellectual’ side of the Church. This camp is exceptionally good at constructing systems for understanding who God is and how He operates. Reason and the mind are regarded most highly in their counsels. As a result, solid theological teaching, and growing in understanding of God stands as the cornerstone they build their lives on. They love to share insights which elucidate one or another aspect of a passage or idea. Sunday school classes, education, correct thinking, broad literacy, and academic acclaim are their cherished prizes, solid rationalized system of thought are their safety and homes.

There is another camp within the Church who holds a different aspect of the self as king - the soul. They live on the other side of the road dividing these two camps in the Church. They are the  ‘strongly spiritual’ side. These people are passionate about experiencing God in personal ways, having spiritual encounters, and demonstrating charismatic gifts of the Spirit. Their teachings are often based more on feelings and loose ideas than critical or historical study of scripture. There is a deep seated distrust of the intellect in many of these communities coming from a fear that it will “quench the spirit” (1 Thess. 5:19).

Warring Camps

Growing up in the more Intellectual side of the Church one hears a lot of warnings about “those crazy Pentecostal folks who abuse spiritual gifts, are easily tossed around by their emotions, and are quickly taken in by bad teaching.” If I didn’t hear these words expressed in these exact terms, they were hinted at from all sides.  Such warnings were born out of wounds many people received in the land called Pentecostalism or stories of such wounds. Some were called “not Christian” because they didn’t speak in Tongues. Others saw crazy meetings that looked and sounded more like mobs in riot than peaceful, enlightening, uplifting gatherings of God’s people. All this and more spurred a deep distrust and even animosity towards the other "crazy" camp which served to drive them further away from each other. 

On the other hand, the "strongly spiritual" camp looks across the tracks to see stifled Christians over-analyzing everything while neglecting and distrusting the Holy Spirit. They recount with distain countless lost opportunities of connecting with God and doing His work those "excessively intellectuals" miss out on. They blame them for keeping Holy Spirit locked in the Cage of History, neglecting the dynamic miraculous power He wants to soak our everyday lives in. Backhanded remarks are made towards the stoic intellectuals in their ivory towers of academia with so little connection to the Spirit of God. All this and more produces a deep-seated distrust and underemphasis of the mind. 

The tragedy is that neither camp alone is experiencing the fullness of what Jesus wants to bless us with when he says, “Love the Lord with you whole HEART, whole SOUL, whole MIND and whole STRENGTH." Jesus didn’t say, "pick your favorite few, the ones you're inclined towards and that’ll be good enough to live out the fulness of what you were made for." He was laying out the recipe for a full life you were designed to live! A lot of people carry around the general idea that we should just go with our natural strengths, some are wired to feel, some to think. Play to your strengths and don't sweat your weaknesses. Jesus is has much more than that for you. He said to everyone Love God with all four parts, implying that we all have all four and should pour the WHOLE of all them into loving God. 

The four parts of the equation are like four pillars in a building; the Heart, the Soul, the Mind, and the Strength. If we seek to love God fully with each of these parts then the building of our Self will grow up straight and true. It will become a firm and solid house in which others will find peace and safety, joy and life. But, if we aren't putting equal energy into building each of these pillars you can see how quickly it will become tilted, unstable and either cease its upward growth and stagnate, or topple over in a heap from confusion. 

But I hear the rumblings of a beautiful work rollin' down the tracks our way. Minds are clearing out their cobwebs, Hearts are coming alive, Souls are emerging from arid lands, passion for the Great Father's heart and face cracks electric in the air. Curious, hungry children are searching the other camps for the nourishment their upbringing lacked. And the best new is, they're finding it and finally filling out their empty trousers; growing full strong. They see the segregation of spirit from mind as immaturity acting out of insecurity and are searching for more. They are the mergers of the two tribes. They are becoming whole and true lovers of God.

Come Meet Me

Come meet me in the morning.

Refresh me like dew.

Let your Whispers, rustle my spirit.

Draw me into your Heart,

Up to your Face,

Down to your Feet,

Where my Soul finds its pace.

Feet me along, The Great Little Path

You Walked + Ran + Blazed.

Fly me up, your Heavenly Road,

Where all Know, and Sing Your praise.

Float me along,

Your deep river Joy,

Till I Burst, + Bubble;

Past my seams.

My trust in Your Hand,

Head on Your Chest,

No worry, can break-in my mind.

I have + I'll hold,

You for my Gold,

Every day, every all, of my Time.

A Balanced View

       As Christians, we believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Thanks to the innovative creativity of Tertullian, we call this beautiful paradox the ‘Trinity’ (he invented this word in Latin to help people think and talk about this idea). The difficulty of understanding the way Scripture describes this reality of one God in three persons has been the source of great confusion throughout the Church’s life, not to mention the lives of many individuals. 

        I won’t try to explain here how our Heavenly Father is unified with, yet distinct from the Son and Spirit--that is a massive undertaking which I have no intention of taking under presently. I want to look here at how we act towards the triune God in our everyday lives. 

        A Theology professor of mine once said, “Though we say we believe in one God in three persons, we usually treat him like he is only one and not three or only three and not one.” I’ve noticed something similar in most Church gatherings. Usually, a church focuses prominently on one person of the trinity, while the other two sit hidden in the background nearly forgotten. I grew up in the mainstream protestant side of the Church, where Jesus was the central focus. The Father took a back seat, and Holy Spirit was so far back He was barely holding on to the emergency exit door of the bus as He flailed out the back. Most of the songs, teachings and answers in my Sunday gathering were about Jesus. Many Christians know that the ‘Sunday-school’ answer to every question, no matter what, is ‘Jesus.’

        This may not sound like a bad thing, Jesus being the grand focus and all. But everything has a place and a measure it functions in best. When it is out of its place or experienced in a measure other than its best, there is something lacking in our experience, even if we don’t recognize it. For example, an action or idea may not be wrong because of being vile or wicked, it may be wrong simply because it pushes another thing out of its proper place and causes imbalance in your or another person’s life. If we focus solely on Jesus, we miss out on who He was always emphasizing: His Father. Or we might even be neglecting the very one He sent to us, the one He implored us to look to after He was gone: The Holy Spirit.

        Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection was wholly for the purpose of connecting us, through adoption, with The Great Father. The means by which Jesus did and still does this is through the Holy Spirit and living continually in the Holy Spirit. This is what we were made for. It’s exactly what Jesus worked for and preached His whole life on earth: life as children of the Father in, by, and through His Holy Spirit.

        My point is certainly not that we need to value Jesus less. My point is we need to value the Spirit and the Father more. Or, perhaps it’s the other way around for you. Who in the Godhead do you talk with the most in prayer? With whom do you most often relate? Who do you connect with the least out of the Trinity?

        Are you relating to the Father as His son, or daughter?

        Are you living as a highly valued child of God?

        Are you being led into all truth and empowered to do great things by his Holy Spirit?

        Do you recognize and respond to the Spirit’s voice throughout the day?

        Are relating to your rescuer, brother, and King; Jesus?

        Who do you know the most deeply, and who might you be neglecting?

        Though it’s most simple to focus just on Jesus or the Father, or the Spirit, we mature most fully as we grow in our relationships with all three members of the Trinity. Practice addressing each person in the Godhead individually. Ask The Spirit to show you what is lacking and what is off balance for you here. Ask him to give you a balanced and more full view of life with Him.

Rough Days

                             

You know those days when you just feel like a pile of shit? The days when you can’t see the point of anything, least of all your own existence? I do. I’ve had countless such days. Days where I wake up feeling “blue” and nothing is going right. Days when I don't feel close to God or like I'm living like He would want. These days often drift into weeks -- or even months and years. Usually, it’s because I feel like I’m not living out the purposes for which I was put on the earth. When I feel like I'm not living up to what I should, a listless weariness starts to suffocate me. Soon anxiety sees a welcome spot to land and proceeds to do so. Then worry and depression creep in and all of a sudden, or slow and steady like water rising, I feel lost and distant from joy, life, God, people, and even my own self.

          At times like these, I have tried working my way back to joy and purpose and closeness with God. I read my Bible more religiously, pray harder, even try thinking of others more...but nothing changes.

          The only way I’ve found out of this Cave of Sadness known by so many names is by the simple act of remembering who I am and resting in that knowledge. I remember: God is my Dad (Father is not a used word in my relational history, so I use Dad). Good dads delight in their children; they simply want to be and do things and rest with them. That's what my Heavenly Dad has shown me. I've learned that God loves to lift up humble people and bring low the people who try to do things all on their own, because that’s just not how we were made to operate.

           In light of all this, to counteract the Cave of Sadness I literally get on my knees (first thing in the morning to set the tone of my day, though any time is good) and say, "Good morning, Dad!" I bask in my place in His heart, remembering that He has made me a new creation in Him. I remember that the New Self is who He calls my real true self. He sees me as completely covered by Jesus' sacrifice. God sees me as perfect and delightful and new -- right now! I relish and luxuriate in this place, in my true identity as God's son and the implications that furnish the reality of God being my Dad. I stop and let this sink in to the deep crevices of my soul. I ask Him how He's doing. Stop and listen for his response. I chat about the day ahead with Him, asking Him to lead and guide me through it to bless and enrich other peoples' lives and usher his beautiful desires into every situation, inviting Him into every second of it. I talk with Him about the people on my heart, asking Him to sow specific goodnesses into their days. All throughout the time I pepper in "thank you's" for every good thing I can think up, from my pillow, to food, to friends and his ever unfolding love. I build up an atmosphere of gratitude inside my heart and mind.

          Sometimes just switching my focus to these thoughts has snapped me out of the darkness that was shrouding out any light from my perspective. Sometimes it takes time for the shadows to flitter away. But, when I make these thoughts and prayers into a habit pretty soon joy and peace and healthy thinking set in. I don't have to strive after happiness, I just have to agree with the view my good, benevolent Heavenly Dad has of me...what a delicious place to live. I just receive God's view of me and trust that His is a more accurate view of a deep, eternal reality than what I can see. Joy. Peace. Rightness. This is your Kingdom, God? I could get used to this. So I try to (Rom. 14:17). I practice resting on my Papa's chest, letting His provision spread peace through my mind. Life becomes a journey in which I seek to sow this peace and joy and rightness wherever I go. In this place, my purpose is made clear: Do just that.

A note: If you are currently struggling with the lows of clinical depression, you might read this essay as imploring you to ‘try harder’--which is actually the opposite of what I intend. I believe God can bring healing to any situation, but only he knows exactly what you need. I encourage you to listen to Him and the Family of God around you. Mental illness is a real issue that deserves no shame, but only support -- listen to the Lord for where you should seek that support.

Belief vs. Trust

Belief is a word often used in today’s culture--especially Christian culture. It makes sense, as it’s used so often in the Bible. However, when thinking about what the word “belief” actually means, I struggle to find justice in the way it is used most often, especially "Believers" of Jesus. Today when people say they ‘believe’ something, they usually mean ‘to think certain thoughts in their heads.’ That’s what believing in something means, right? You believe it accurately reflects reality; it’s true. But the Greek word translated as ‘belief’, πιστός, means a good deal more. It connotes leaning on the thing which you believe. Trusting it is truth, to the extent that you act in accordance with it being true. Like a man standing, legs crossed, his forearm bracing his weight against a stone wall. He believes the stone wall is there and then acts like it is.

It’s like the difference between believing your friend is a responsible driver and actually handing him your keys so he can borrow your car for the weekend while you’re out of town. Your belief is expressed in trust when you hand those keys over with confidence in your friend. The active handing-over-of-your-keys kind of trust is the biblical word most often translated as belief or faith.

Trust is the expression of a belief that has made its way down from the head to the heart. Not coincidentally, this happens to be where meaningful relationship also resides. This is the space where the God of Heaven desires to live, and to thereby experientially know you and be known by you. For we are meant to live intimately with our God (Micah 6:8, Gen. 5:22, Gen. 3:8, Matt. 7:23). The way we do that is by trusting in him.

When you believe in God, you don't merely receive him into your mind, but through your mind down to your heart where your spirit learns to mingle with his. The only way anything gets to the most significant places in us is by the act of trusting. Often times we let ideas sit in the cooking pot of our mind till they’re burned. Ideas are like soup in that regard, we add in different perspectives from varying sides of fences and put it through testing heat. Eventually, when the flavors have simmered together into a delicious curry it needs to be eaten. That’s the only way it offers sustenance. Otherwise it will eventually just turn to an unappetizing burnt glob of gunk that Fido will even turn his nose up at! No one wants that to be the stuff in their head. Stepping out in trust (faith) is what builds in us meaningful connections with people, God, and truth.

Let’s eat our words, eat the ideas we profess and ponder and let them nourish our lives and those of the people around us. Maybe that’s a helpful measure for deciding what to mentally consume--how nourishing it will be to our selves and the selves around us.