Truly Life

Despair and optimism are two sides of the same dismissive attitude.  They both fail to see what really is, stubbornly focusing only on one small part of reality (despair the bad and optimism the good).  Certainly we can not see all of reality, but at least we can be humbly assured there is more than what we currently see.

This knowledge prepares us to find hope in the future for our story.

We are called to this hope, despite the reality of our current brokenness.  We are called to care, even when the problems of this world seem overwhelming.  We are not to turn a blind eye to the broken, nor are we to let it overwhelm us.  We are called to walk into the brokeness with hope.

That is much, much harder.

And more uncomfortable.  We would rather things be one thing or another.  This or that.  Good or evil.  We want quick and easy categorizing, and then to be done with it.  But living in the tension of hope and brokenness requires more nuance.  Life is simply too complex for that.

There are great things, there are tragic things.  There is everything in-between, and that is just on Tuesday.  Everyday is filled with such incredible depth of experience; it is hardly possible to believe it.  But we know it.  We know it is true.  This is the life that is truly life.   

We perservere to figure out what is next, to see what the Author is doing.  To see where he is going.  To watch the next episode.  To explore our own selves.  To keep learning.  To trust.  To grow.  To believe.  To walk on.  Perserverance is that ability to continue, without knowing.

To believe, in spite of what we see.  To move, even while we are unsure of where we are going.  It is perserverance.  Trust.  Letting go of conditional love.  It is moving into a language and realm that is beyond ours to grasp.  It is unconditional love.

No matter what happens, I will believe.  It sounds fanatical.  Illogical.  Irrational.  Our belief should correspond to reality.  And does.  Only our belief also causes reality.  In other words, reality is not simply a static, external thing that does not change. Reality is constantly moving.

Reality is not dry cement; it is more like wet cement.  At least in the present.  We simply do not know when it will harden.  And we don’t need to.  We simply need to know it is still wet today.  Other pieces may be firmly established (dry), but not this one.  Wet reality stands before us.

We are part of shaping reality.  Our reality is somehow connected to The Reality.  We are connected.  Intertwined.  Even interpenetrated.  It all connects.  That is our reality.  We must believe, and in believing trust that there is One who can bring all of the story together.