those three doctrinal things
what is for everyone today
hope
except by those who will not hope
not believe or have
enough
it seems not
toward wanting more
yet
wanting
more
faith
to believe in us
and in the world enough
if only inimically and
so
the spirit more with heaven as an element
maybe an application until
the spirit
obvious everywhere
and like the poles
should
peace prevail
then go to love
and what
shall
love be if not reliable like seasons
except
to be founding and producing
all the time
what does better
and
reliably
so we might rely and not
have to create our loves
and re-create
all
the time
but depend
and so have a fullness
in
independence
hope has wings
then
while faith has raiment
so
love has
the halo for sanctity
and
could be worldly important
though it’s also ordinary
and to
elevate the
ordinary
so that
even
if the land is occupied
we must hold the love and
so resist
even repel
siege
holders
until the enemy goes back to a phantom place
to plan some
more
while we keep to
and live of our own
until
the world change and we have
with everyone
if
not equally
but all
the time
in
love
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1 Corinthians 13:13 (World English Bible)
“These three things will remain for ever. They are faith, hope, and love. And love is the greatest of them.”
[yeah, I wrote about hope first]
Enemy-occupied territory--that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.
C.S. Lewis
Mere Christianity
warfair
there is a war
as a peacenik I admit it
we
know the places
and we don’t
since wars are also fought in secret
secret
or open
the field is the mind and heart
more so the spirit
of
each one
and who shall win the big war is
determined
read
hear about it anytime
as for the small wars
the wars of each one and by
our
families and friends
they go on
and the victory isn’t called
and it is
all
perilous because
the fight is in the self by
which the better weapons
are
love and will
and there is temptation to give up
or
to give in
because the other side
entices
as if it were so shiny
even
though it’s moldering since
part of heaven
lost
and we say
fell
though there was no real direction
but opposite
and now two sides and
well
since
Eden
and we choose
and there
remain
though it’s gloriously odd
that we might
turn
away
but then may turn again
old betrayals resolved
if
imperfectly for now
and so the war of spirit shall go on
until the Megiddo
victory
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sorry, the title is a pun in English; I’m not sure how this will translate (“war fair,” as it were, rather than “warfare”)
photo by Lisa Forkner on Unsplash
“High Stone Wall in Megiddo”
first through last message
I don’t know what
to say to you
today
which I know I say many times
at least
to me
but I don’t
I could speak of a-gap-e
the kind of love
that has no terms except to manifest
itself
the kind that comes from God
as all that’s good has come
from God
while evil is allowed
for now
and agape ruins that agenda if it seems
that evil wins for now
since
that is the illusion
that what is bad is victorious
and lasting
which is
regardless
how I feel sometimes
and maybe you do
too
from time to time
but what is bad will not persist
and what is love continues
to be chosen
as
it’s always available
as it’s in us
and as we decide
not only dwells but gets out
rather well
sometimes in surprise
always
in small wonder
if
sussed
yet it’s real and even ordinary
that is
to the loving
maybe is confounding to the wrong
who are loved
anyway
and
wrong’s agenda
which we may not love
so much
but
by praying for confiners
when
confined
who is confined
as far as victory might have to be
concerned
then
love wins
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photo by Vanna Phon on Unsplash
a local creed
pretty complicated
but it isn’t
God creates
out of
love
so much so we say that God is love
everything was made and we
were made
well
and then we fell
and the closeness we might have with God
fell
too
and so we live
God with us and God loving us
even
perfectly
and maybe part of the mischief is that God is at reach
but not physically clearly in the room
because
the company of perfection
is
too much
and breeds contempt
through dissociation
and so
how to come to faith
that way
but through fallenness or devil’s guile or other reason
we are on our own to
come to God
to believe
for life
as we live
life now
and
for life
forever
about which we’ve been told
and yet so much more
if
to our skeptical rue for now
but
to discover then
so
how to believe
believe
free to us
cost having been paid
which
is
a story and it’s true
yet
from us
nothing more to exchange
but
faith
for God
to start
which to think on it
maybe not think
on
it so
well
is a great deal
of ours
to give
if
God to receive
in all this
also
we might have an answer to the question of
what matters
because by love as well as reason
of faith
what
matters
is all
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photo by uve sanchez on Unsplash
(the image was for another but then co-wrought the following)
choose the moon
lasso it first
only
George to Mary
while
the rest of us must find it first
the moon
and how to capture it
or
leave it go and choose to go with it
as it should fly through sky
and
we walk the horizon
to follow its way until morning and then at last
we shall know
what
to do
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photo by Steve Busch on Unsplash
the drama
we are born of the Earth
breathed through
with
divine exhalation
we rise
one and then the other
we are introduced and given tasks
care for the
garden
name things or else we did that
on our own
but meet with God
all the time
and live the spirit in the mean time
and somehow Satan or
the devil
or whatever you might call it
was
allowed in and allowed a role
maybe for the first
time
this was the start of the revellion
the devil trusted
as archangel
only for
a little while
longer and what damage it could
do before caught out
and such ruination happened
it seems we blamed each other more
than the writhing thing
though
the demon part in our exitence
should carry on and taken
through to the midst of Armageddon
when
as prophecy decided
and yet played out
there is a final battle between
Michael and
itself
when it is thrown for good
out of sight
only to dwell in God’s mind over lost
creation
and lost love
while our redemption is at hand
to do our part
believe
accept the grace of mercy
as
a fitness for heaven
and
the Earth renewed
who knows
maybe for us
to have the home we’ve had as
the home that was made
except
for evil’s and
for will’s intrusion following
the evil
as well as inventing our own
now
the Earth anew
as on another world the ideal might be
ancient
but now for us and for all the days
succeeding
move forward with everything that’s good we have
and
love our lives in every way
each other and by mercy
means of grace
return to the communion that was the way
even the style
of Eden
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photo by Boudhayan Bardhan on Unsplash
to offer to go through it
and how much does the mood affect the day
and it’s the other
way
around
how much the day affects the mood
we wake into something
after all
the attitude
the realities we carry
then
come new hours and could be restful
though we’ll apply
our contemporary value of
busyness
to show our worth and get our pay
could
be another day
that might require countercultural
even
a resistance
one by one and could be
a movement
call
it faith
or church
to grow
that creation is profit enough
Blake’s energy as
eternal
delight
electric belief through spirit
with believe in what and who is made
and
consider smallest with
the occasional huge
way to love
as God is love
and
yes
there are the hard parts
the world sometimes is not only vain but
tries what it decides
must be
the time to kill
another’s
spirit
take a life
call the war a victory costing many
for the few
much
for a little
same time to raise
sacrifice
as
service
for the soldier
for
the parent
and the children all around
as all are children
in
a learning state
and so inexorably to grow and change
if
not stopped
short
and transfer students go
to God
but here for us here
we
make our choices
study maybe and instinctively
apply
speed citations
fearsome courts
war crimes
loneliness
failure
even to breathe less
so to have yet
want
to have
and having’s good
it’s the bending to change into
unrecognizable
except
as
satiation
even though God invented pleasure
and offers joy
and
yes
by faith
that’s all
well
not all
but believe in God and live by love
understanding and applying
that
love is practical
and strong
and makes mistakes
and can open to repentance and
to making up
with
everyone
involved
which might lift prayer
as a resource when something’s unreachable
and
yet some repair
required
somehow
which is love
too
strong and practical
available at no cost
whomever
on Earth might say there’s cost
beyond
grace provided everywhere
and
always
and our own will and energy invested
God is love
we should believe
and try love
too
there
that’s it or enough for now
for
now
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[all the nows counting and piling toward eternity]
“Energy is eternal delight.” Attributed aphorism (if not axiom), William Blake.
photo by mauro mora on Unsplash
Santiago, Chile
plain or fancy
what did he
say
and this is so
the Bible says that Jesus loves us
when we’re weak
so
he is
strong
always weak
always
strong
everyone seems called to both
weak to
hear
strong to act
call weak gentle or easy
or
withholding
openness to listen
and
to heed what he should say
we have the story
and the help of spirit
and
of angels
strong to act while strong is faith
and
otherwise
to
take great care
for anger destroys
and
pride
as vanity shall fall
every time
with
consequences to learn
if not yet
experienced directly
and that is plain
I hope
for me to learn
for you to be loved by God
and Jesus and the
Spirit
loved by God and in that book
find it affirmed
and
by our instinct as we grow with God
by Jesus
and the Spirit
and by the Bible
and with each other
as
we’re faithful
and even when
we fall
the love’s not over
anymore than faith or hope
though love’s
the
quality and entity
the strength
the practicality
that
remains
the theologian was asked
and
responded
Jesus loves me
this
I know
for the Bible tells me so
may it go so simple
and
so strong
if not perfectly not yet
by us
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the song “Jesus Loves Me” was written by Anna Bartlett Warner, published in 1859 (the line breaks above were by me)
the theologian in question, at least so goes the story, is Martin Marty, asked to sum up his theology, responding with the beginning of the hymn
photo by Lauren Mitchell on Unsplash
I hope the other side of the shirts says “The Now”
love gives
what shall
love provide
but
everything we need
food
something safe to drink
families
of
all sorts constructed
homes
and peace
and if our loves won’t do this
won’t provide
then
person to family to
tribe we haven’t worked it right
not yet
and if work sounds blockish
or
exploitative
then let’s ask ourselves if
we wouldn’t say that
on an easy
day
love still requires labor
for
the loved also
receiving the same
and if
followed
by rest
for all those
loving
loved
sometimes
to hope rarely called for
except something Christlike required
then
even loving and not loved
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photo by Balint Miko on Unsplash
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