First Things First

Dear Friends,

Well, I suspected that this day would come:

‘Margery’ might inadvertently mention something that might provoke controversy.

Let me assure you, that is the one thing…the main thing…I have hoped to avoid with all of my heart. But I see that it is probably unavoidable if we are to have the honest and vital conversation for which I’ve long wished.

Please let me assure you of this: I am not speaking for any others who happen to share my particular faith. I am not speaking for a denomination. I am not espousing any outside causes. I am not representing anyone or anything…other than myself.

I am not a theologian, a pastor, a psychologist, or in any other position of spiritual or emotional authority.

I am just a very faulty, flawed human being who is trying to tell her personal story the best that she can. In the hope that I may, in some little way, have an opportunity to “comfort as I have been comforted.”

I’m sorry that I mentioned specifics in the “Beautiful Brides” posting that evidently got us away from the main point.

The reason I shared the prayer story is because I thought it illustrated something important: The unconditional love of God ministering to a hurting heart. I felt that the idea of God’s spirit revealing to the young woman that she was the opposite of how she felt was transformational. It was an example of the tender, extravagant, supernatural love of God that is so much greater than our love even for ourselves. She received a feeling of acceptance and validation that no mere human being could transmit.

Let me reiterate that I am not any kind of an official “prayer minister.” This was a situation that just popped up. I was faced with a choice of whether to respond to the need, or to play it safe. As I said, the whole thing was a leap of faith that took me way out of my comfort zone.

There are many points of theology that will not be unanimously resolved until heaven. Frankly, it sickens me to think of all the fighting and wars and destruction that have resulted from disunity. I think it sickens God even more. Grieves him. Because of that, I do try to keep in mind Paul’s recommendation to avoid “senseless arguing” at all costs. That’s why I’m so mad at myself. I suppose I would have been more vague and guarded if I had thought that there were any chance that my reference might have the effect of not keeping ‘first things first.’ It just didn’t dawn on me because it was a peripheral detail.

The last thing I want to do is offend anyone. But we must admit that we all have our personal opinions, and they are not all the same.

This reminds me of something I’ve been meaning to say for a long time:

I hope (and pray) that I am not just “preaching to the choir.” It would delight me to know that I have not chased everyone else away. (“Oh, no, the woman’s quoting scripture…I’m outa here!”) I have assiduously tried to avoid as much 'God-talk' or 'Jesus-speak' as possible. Still, the original blog was born out of a major miracle. World-renown men and women of science referred to Katherine’s case as miraculous from Day 1. There is no rational explanation for why she survived her severe brain rupture. The supernatural* has been an essential element of our story from Day 1. It cannot be avoided or denied due to embarrassment or fear of misinterpretation. I feel that this is a major theme of my writings: Those moments when the miraculous invades the mundane. When the supernatural supersedes the natural order. In ways both large and small.

I would like to think that there are still some out there who are free enough to listen to opinions not their own. To hear other voices. (Don’t anybody even think about taking that the wrong way! You know what I mean.) To respectfully learn from those who are different from us.  To be able to be challenged by differing opinions and world-views. To be teachable and open-minded. (But not so much that our brains fall out, of course.)

In other words, just because I happen to be a middle-aged white Southern Protestant Christian woman, it doesn’t mean that I hope to limit my readership to clones of myself.

Not a Christian? You are so, so welcome here! It is an honor to have you visit.

Not Southern? Please keep reading! I’ll try not to be too overtly provincial.

Not Protestant? Yay! Some of my most awesome spiritual experiences have been in Catholic, Russian Orthodox, or Greek Orthodox churches. And I had a pretty amazing time at a Bat Mitzvah once. Fascinating and moving.

Not white? Thank God! He absolutely adores diversity!

Not middle-aged? Good. I wasn’t always. Help me to remember it.

NOT A WOMAN???  Ding! Ding! Ding! You win the booby prize! (Really…just kidding.) You have shown yourself to be graciously open-minded in attempting to glimpse life through a woman’s eyes. We are the same species, after all. And you were most likely birthed by a woman, may give birth to a woman, love a woman, marry a woman…so it can’t hurt to be familiar with a woman’s mind. Consider it research.

The point is: I don’t think we need to be afraid to learn from others from a different demographic. We are all students in the school of life.

 C.S.Lewis said, “I have been asked to tell you what Christians believe, and I am going to begin by telling you one thing that Christians do not need to believe. If you are a Christian you do not have to believe that all the other religions are simply wrong all through.”

Oh no…I just realized that that quote may be greatly misunderstood and misinterpreted. I give up. (But am leaving it in as illustration.)

It is hard for me to put a filter over everything. I’m afraid that if I do, the writing will dry right up. If I weigh how every chance reference may affect each person reading, there will not be much to say. Because everything offends someone.

If my writings confuse you, frustrate you, or anger you, then the solution is quite evident: PLEASE DO NOT READ. Remember, no one is twisting your arm. It will take 15 seconds to find someone whose world-view you can more easily stomach.  There are something like 10 million blogs out there.

But I want you to know that you are all welcome here, whether we agree on every dot and tittle of theological detail or not.

As a precious Jewish friend whom we met in ICU said, “We are more alike than unlike.” We all experience the human condition. We are all related.

I referred earlier to “putting first things first.”

This is my priority:

 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-36)

This is my desire:

 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-20)

OH NO….the woman’s quotin’ scripture again! Run for the hills!

***************

*Supernatural:

1.of, pertaining to, or being above or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena.

2. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or attributed to god or a deity.

3. direct influence or action of a deity on earthly affairs.

***************

All that said, I do want everyone to know how very much I appreciate your comments. Other bloggers think I’m crazy for leaving the “Anonymous” option open, but I did it so that people who are afraid to expose themselves may still have a voice. (A first name would be nice, though. Even a made-up one.) I don’t want you to think that I welcome only those opinions that echo my own. But because we were drifting into theological debate, I thought it necessary to state clearly that that is not my intention. Still, I loved seeing the interaction of the various comments. It was a conversation! Yay!