naming the demons, reclaiming the God-in-you . . . by Kari Henkelmann Keyl

They tried to make her go to rehab, and she said… no, no, no. Singer Amy Winehouse became famous as the Grammy Award winner who won’t go, go, go, with her song of resistance, Rehab (lyrics video), in 2006. She has been in and out of rehab since then, reportedly finding some health, but it hasn’t been easy. 

Some of us can relate to the terrible journey of the substance addict who’s trying to get clean… or trying not to get clean… or doing both at the same time. And some of us have never been addicted to drugs. But we can hardly claim to be better than the struggling addicts. We’ve got addictions of our own.

Whether your addiction is – to caffeine or nicotine, to over-exercising or taking ibuprofin, to eating or not eating, to too much screen time or to being connected to your friends 24/7, to blaming others or cutting yourself down — addiction can be one hell of a ride. And jumping off that ride can be as scary as staying on it.

There are these habits and obsessions we get into that help us cope… for a while anyway. But when we see that they’re just band-aids, keeping us from getting the real help/change we need, then it’s time to take them off the “coping mechanisms” list and name them for what they really are.

Naming addictive habits can be powerful. We can name them “destructive” or “hurtful to myself and others” or “what I’ve centered my life around” or “what I truly love and worship even though it doesn’t love me back”. Naming the demons that have attached themselves to us can be the beginning of re-claiming our own lives, of taking them back.

While you’re contemplating your own need to name and re-claim, check out this simple but poignant poem  written by someone who’s using poetry as part of her healing journey.

“You've taken from me God's image of me. I'm letting you go, and I want to be free,” says the determined Poet to her Addiction.

A number of writers have chronicled how Jesus continued to see God’s image in people despite the scary demons that had overtaken them. Here is one such person, in Part One of an incredible story: Luke 8:26-31

It seems to me that this person’s demons may well have been supernatural creatures of some sort. But they also could have been related to misunderstood diseases like epilepsy, mental illness, or alcoholism. Whatever is the reason for this man’s ostracizing symptoms, the reality is that he has fully taken on the demon-possessed label that his community slapped him with. He needs a new name. But there is resistance. “What business do you have messing with me, Jesus?!” he cries. This is the way life is with me. Leave me alone! If you take away my demons, who will I be? How will I cope then? No, no, no!

Here’s the rest of the story Luke 8:31-39. Jesus separates the demons from the person. So powerful is this demon-force that it drives the herd of pigs crazy. And the whole thing makes the townsfolk crazy, too. They could handle the crazy man by shackling him. But this Jesus was too powerful to be messed with. Too much change, too fast. They’re more scared of the healthy man than they were the wild one!

But the man who’s been freed has a new life beyond fear. He wants to hop into the boat with Jesus, but Jesus has bigger plans. He can see the gifts in this person. He gives him a new name: truth-telling God-connector. Go and tell everyone how God reached out to you! I know you can! 

Try to imagine what might happen if you named one of the demons you struggle with… asked Jesus to help you face up to it… shared your story with someone who would walk with you through the painful changes… learned more about your relationship with God than you ever thought possible… felt the new freedom... and began telling others about what God has done...

Who knows?

Healer Jesus, you have named me as your beloved child. Walk with me as I face up to the habits and attitudes I have that take me away from you. Open my eyes to notice those who need me, those who need you. Help me see the gifts in myself that you see… that I might be a God-connector in the world.


If you’d like to come and engage with others on the stuff I’ve brought up here, please come and join the audio skype conversation on Thursday, June 17, 7pm EST or Monday, June 21, 8:30pmEST. New to skype? All you need is a microphone (most laptops have them built in). Just go to http://www.skype.com/, download the program, set up your identity, and then look for “by the way community”. All are welcome!

unshackled ... by Kari Henkelmann Keyl

Are you free… or have you got some kind of shackles tying you down?  Or do you flow in and out of freedom/unfreedom as you meander through your days?


I’ve got a great story for you to jump into, a story that comes from the action-packed Bible book called “The Acts of the Apostles”. My suggestion for getting in deep is to try this: Each time you are introduced to a new character, pause to imagine who this person is and in what state of “shackledness” they are. How is this person bound in chains? What is her/his need for freedom? Then weave in some thoughts about which character(s) you relate to. What kind of chains are you dragging around?


Ok, now head on over to  Acts 16:16-34, maybe jotting down your insights as you go... and then come back here for a bit…


When I concentrated on each character’s shackledness, I was most intrigued by the exchange between Paul and the un-named slave girl who could "see" beyond the ordinary.

Here Paul has just had a life-changing encounter with the intriguing Lydia, giving to and receiving from someone so different from himself (see last week's blog and/or Acts 16:1-16).  So why is he so annoyed by this other "different" person, this enslaved truth-teller who tells him exactly who he is?


I suppose it would be like passing by someone who’s homeless who looks into your eyes and tells everyone around what your occupation is. It would be a bit creepy. And there’s this barrier between most of us and the street people we encounter. We have a hard time valuing that person. We are afraid. And annoyed. And chained to our prejudiced perceptions. How does God reach out to us to unshackle us from the stereotypes that separate us?


Paul goes on to have this intense interchange with the jailer who’s is most certainly enslaved by the Roman empire, even though he’s got a paid position with them. Paul and Silas save the life of this guy and then end up bringing his whole family into the joy of God’s new way of life in Jesus. Life might not be easy for this family, as they turn their backs on their previous way of making sure there’s bread on the table. But they’re connected to a new family of faith.


So was the same gift of life offered to little girl, who was probably ditched by her masters on the spot? I hope so. I guess I’m left feeling like I want to make this story complete by keeping my eyes open to find someone who is undervalued… and offering that someone some grace.


So those are a few of my reflections after reading this story. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to jot them down here in the “comments”, so others might learn from your journey, too.


This week is a bit different for by the way, since Heidi and I both have unusually eventful schedules. We won’t have a Skype conversation discussing this post, but we’ll be back in action next Thursday  (5/20) 7pm EST. If you’re new to by the way and would like to see a more “typical” view of the way we do things, please scroll down to the last blog post and you’ll get a good peek in!


I invite you into a time of prayer… God of little and big people, impoverished and wealthy, visionaries and stick-in-the-muds, those who are free and those who are shackled… In this moment, come into the world of my stresses and fears and set me free. Let me float for a while in your expansive grace. Free me from what enslaves me, so I can look at your world with new eyes, with YOUR eyes… eyes filled with delight and compassion and courage. In your name we pray… amen.

Peace to you,
Kari

The truth sets your soul free. by Heidi Jakoby

Check out the reflections and prayers from Oct 22 at http://breadforyourjourney.blogspot.com/

Our discussion began reflecting on the statement from Anita Atina;

The duality of truth,

Fights for resolution,

and yet, coexists

Quietly, when it needs to

This sense of the duality of truth that we each in our own way have our own truth is intriguing. What is your truth and how does that differ from someone else’s? Is there only one truth? How do facts like two plus two differ from the truth? Check out the addition Don Tanner made to Anita’s Poem.

If you lie at what point does the truth come out anyway? We have all heard the expression “the truth will set you free”, free from what? Free from lies and deception but there still may be consequences. With the story of the “balloon boy” ultimately the 6 year old told the truth. This truth may put his parent in jail, how does that set him free? It frees him and his family from keeping up a lie. Being free of lies and secrets is a freedom we can choose, just as we can choose to follow Jesus, to learn about the example his life is to us.

In the Gospel of John Jesus simply asks us to believe in him and his teaching. Jesus calls us to love one another and to do our best and if you believe Jesus you will be free.

As we listened to the Eric Clapton song Tell the Truth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYiCxZcO5j4 )

I especially noticed the line “you better come to terms with your fellow men soon,” to me this sounded that if you do not come clean with the truth your world will be constantly unsettled. There is no foundation on which to move forward in peace and freedom.

Truth and Freedom how do you link the two in your life?

These are just a few of the thoughts expressed at bread for your journey.