“Vanishing into the Thin Unpopulated Air”
WARNING: This is an uncensored rant against God. If you find such things as doubt, anger, and questioning toward God offensive, read no further. If not, then read on.
2012: Reflection on the Questions
Now that we are into February of the new year, I’m at a place removed so I can adequately reflect on the year that was 2012. It has taken the better part of a month to process, and even still, I’m not sure how to digest it all. But here’s a first crack at getting my thoughts, questions, and overwhelming confusion out of my head and into this blog.
Thanksgiving through a Child’s Eyes
Every year at Thanksgiving, my mother would place a kernel of dried Indian corn on our plates, and one-by-one she would ask each of us to hold the corn between our fingers and answer this question for the entire table to hear: What are you thankful for this year? It was a corny tradition (pun intended) but we participated anyway, repeating the same answers year after year: beautiful children, loving partners, adoring parents, warm homes, delicious food. Who wouldn’t be thankful for these things?
Voting for “Biblical Values”
Recently, there has been a lot of political admonishment to vote for “biblical values.” Pulpits, radio ads, and television commercials are flush with it. We see it plastered on flyers, littering our mail. And most recently, the Billy Graham Evangelical Association placed a full-page advertisement in local newspapers reminding us all to “cast our ballots for candidates who base their decisions on biblical principles.”
Funeral for a Dream
What happens to us when a deeply loved dream dies? But what happens after we’ve tried once more, stood up once more, gone further, and refused to give up ad infinitum until there is nothing left to give?
Mayberry
The first presidential election in which I voted, I cast my ballot for Ronald Reagan. I understand if some of you cringe. I also understand if some of you miss the conservative girl I used to be.
The Text Remains….
Here we are again, the church at the tail end of a fight for human rights, human dignity, and tolerance. The president came out in support of gay marriage. In response, a pastor in his pulpit declares before a cheering crowd that parents should punch young boys who exhibit feminine traits. From another pupit, a pastor suggests a final solution to homosexuality by keeping gay men and women in electrically fenced ghettos. And this week – the coup de gras: a pastor in front of his entire church called for the United States government to execute all homosexuals per Leviticus 20:13.
Loving the Questions
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart. And try to love the questions themselves.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
I’ll never forget the reactions people gave me when I told them I was going to seminary.