by Kari Henkelmann Keyl
So you want it all, and on some level — conscious or un — you feel you deserve it. Life is one amazing thing after another, and you’re missing out on the wonder because amazing is the norm, and you just want more. If you’re one who’s afflicted with this inner illness, you are not alone. And I’m arguing that it’s hardly new to the 21st century.
I just started reading this astoundingly rich book of art, prose, and poetry called The Cosmic Dance: An Invitation to Experience Our Oneness by mystical author Joyce Rupp and artist Mary Southard. It’s opening me up in really cool ways to the inviting mysteries of creation and its Creator, and I’m wishing everyone could be experiencing this with me… and then I pause to check Facebook and there at the top of my home page is this video clip called, “Everything’s Amazing Nobody’s Happy” (Thanks, PastorLindafromMontana!). And in a much less mystical but equally jarring way, I’m hearing this comedian Louis CK spouting off his wisdom that went viral some months ago. Want to see it?
Take note: If you’re someone who was practically born with a cellular device in your hand and you’re easily offended, then you can either choose not to watch this clip or choose to find the wisdom behind the insults, ok? Remember he’s really harping on ALL of us spoiled idiots, not just the youngish ones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk
It’s nothing new. Since the beginning of everything, it’s been amazing, and we humans have had glimpses of this amazingness we are part of… in between our moments of taking it all for granted as nothing more than we deserve. Getting those glimpses is a gift. Getting a wake-up call is refreshing, even if it’s from Louis CK. Or if it’s from another wiseguy named Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus hangs with these characters we now call The Disciples but gospel-writer Mark calls Not-yet-enlightened Idiots. One of the best/worst stories of all that Mark passes on to us is this episode of the Two Brothers who Want it All.
James and John and those ten other guys live in an almost constant climate of AMAZING. Jesus, by their side, is God-personified, Healer-extraordinaire, Awesome-truthteller, and he’s letting them in on the secrets of the universe every day. Or trying to, I should say.
But the J&J brothers aren’t HAPPY. They want to take-it-to-the-next-level. They don’t just want to experience this amazing life; they want to have some power over it, and they probably think they deserve it.
As you read through this episode in Jesus’ life, please resist the temptation to bash J&J further and examine your own self. How do you fit into this scenario, and how is Jesus wake-up-calling you to a change of heart?
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2010:35-45&version=MSG
I’m looking forward to digging deeper into this on Thursday night, and I hope you’ll be there (at the Crowne Plaza, exit 8 in Nashua, 7pm). Please add to the conversation if you’ve got some wisdom of your own, by clicking on “comments” below. And feel free to come back here on the weekend for more.
Amazed and even happy,
Kari
(For a peek into Joyce Rupp's cool stuff: http://breadforyourjourney.blogspot.com/2009/10/we-are-one.html)
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1 comment:
Wow Kari this is an amazing post... it really challenges you to think about your own weaknesses and how to more fully experience the life that we're all gifted with. It reminds me of something I found myself saying at Calumet this past weekend. It was a beautiful weekend, and I was having an AMAZING time volunteering and catching up with friends, when I heard that camp was considering limiting it's wireless internet access next summer.
I got so angry about the idea in the middle of an amazing weekend and even said that I found the idea offensive! The fact that there might not be wireless internet in the middle of woods was so upsetting to me... I was clearly being pretty silly.
My emotional response though really made me realize though how much of my life relies on "amazing stuff" like wiFi... I ended up having a conversation where I said that if I had to choose between not having food or not having internet access on a typical day, I'd choose not to have food, as I wouldn't be able to get anything done that day w/o the internet, and that eating could wait until tomorrow.
Plenty of people in the world don't have food everyday... but here in America an amazing thing like wireless internet is almost as commonplace as three meals a day. How much more difficult is it to appreciate all of the little things that are some of God's greatest gifts to us, when it's hard to not take something like wireless internet as given... I'm a huge proponent of technology, but this is all really thought provoking.
By the way, I write all of this while being quite flustered that I can't get my Google Tasks to sync with my Blackberry :)
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