The Root of all Creation

Ever since I had my experience of awakening in August of 2017 I have been fascinated with the concept of the Greek word metanoia. No word in the English language truly encompasses what the word metanoia truly means, of course Bible translators from the early days of English translations deemed the word repent as a reasonable replacement for such a deep and weighty word, but it in no way truly grasps what the word metanoia is.

I have had several podcasts where I’ve talked about metanoia and what it has meant for me, feel free to listen in long form to my conversations or my monologues about the subject. But this blog isn’t going to dive too deep into the actual meaning of metanoia, but it serves as a little exposition behind my musings in this blog post. More to the point I am going to talk about another fascination I have had since my awakening in August of 2017. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The original choice presented to humanity wan’t really a choice, but rather a mandate to stay away from one tree and feast on all of the other trees in the garden of pleasure (Eden). It took convincing to make man choose to eat from the tree, it was not natural to do so, in fact to eat from the tree flew against every thing Adam knew to be truth, so why did he?

The story goes that Adam didn’t run over to the tree, pick a piece of fruit and start chowing down, instead he was coaxed by the good and perfect gift of his wife. He would have done anything she asked of him, he was enamored by her, when he slept he dreamt of her. He loved his wife because she was literally the best gift he had ever gotten. God told him not to eat from that tree, God didn’t tell her, God have him her and told him that she was good and perfect, she told him to eat from the tree. In his mind he thought that maybe her desire for him to eat from the tree was superseded by her desire for him to eat simply because she was his good and perfect gift.

This story isn’t a story about whether or not men are superior to women or visa-versa, nor is this a blog post about everything being Eve’s fault. Eve knew what Adam told her, God never told her. So realistically she didn’t really know any better. Adam was intoxicated by his love for his bride that he did whatever she asked of him, which was not a good combination. Adam also didn’t really know any better, because remember the tree he was told not to eat from was not simply the tree of Good and Evil.

Good and Evil existed, however Adam and Eve were completely oblivious to this fact. I mean they ran around in the garden of pleasure (Eden) completely naked. They frolicked with lions and tigers and bears, oh my, they rolled around in the fields with poison ivy and all sorts of creepy crawly bugs and they had no concerns for anything at all. There was no worry about what they would eat, there was no worry about how they would be clothed or if they had a roof over their head, they had absolutely no care in the world, nothing at all offended them.

Eve bit from the fruit, and she thought it was tasty. Nothing changed, her eyes were not opened, everything was the same, so she thought that Adam had told her something that wasn’t necessarily true. But when Adam ate, immediately both of their eyes were opened, they saw their nakedness, the garden filled them with fear with all of the animals and weird plants that were scattered everywhere. The spot where he was intimate with his good and perfect gift that morning was in a bramble of thorns. Afraid he ran and grabbed fig leaves and sewed them together to cover their nakedness. (Fig leaves have a pretty deep meaning here, I believe.) They immediately his because he knew in a few minutes God would be coming to spend time with them and frolic with them with all of the animals, and all the darkness and scary bugs.

When God came to the garden, he realized it was no longer a garden of pleasure. He sought Adam and Eve and began calling for them, having played hide and seek with them before, he noticed something radically different, there was no laughter. He didn’t see them running around, but they were hidden. He called for them but they refused to answer because they were filled with fear and worry and anxiety. They were terrified of what God would do to them. He called,

“Oh Adam, c’mon out, you have hidden long enough.”

“We don’t want to God, we are embarrassed.” Adam said out loud as they stayed hidden.

“Oh good heavens, why in the world would you be embarrassed?” He asked amused, knowing what they had done he had done what any good father would do by allowing his kids to “fess up” as my mom used to call it.

“We are naked, ashamed, scared.” Adam cried out.

"The first question out of God’s mouth at their admission was, “Who told you that you were naked?”

As we leave that story I view this as the literal root of the idea of metanoia. All of creation was based upon this concept of choice. From God’s perspective he knew it was a choice presented as a mandate to stay away, but knowing his kids were curious they would eventually choose the route they did. After all scripture does tell us that Jesus is the lamb slain before creation. Jesus, God in our flesh, even said from the cross, “Forgive them Father for they don’t know what they are doing.” It was a complete circle that ended with the Death of Jesus on the cross and that sick cycle carousel was destroyed with His resurrection.

So everything lies in the idea of metanoia, which means to change your mind and direction, to think differently. Not to think in terms of if something is good or evil but rather thinking of situations from the perspective of not having an opinion about it whether it be good or evil. Because if Adam would have never ate from the tree, he would have never realized anything was good or evil, he would have just lived full of joy with his good and perfect wife, Eve.

There is debate over whether Adam and Eve were real, or if they were simply poetry explaining the human dilemma, I lean on the belief that they were very real. Flesh caused the fall, and God in that Flesh redeemed us all.

You may have noticed that I might ask in certain situations, “What tree are you eating from?” This is where that question comes from. It is a constant reminder for me that I need to remember that I am feasting on the Tree of Life and not that of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

I am programmed to fall into old patterns of despair when I focus on things that make me get anxious and nervous about things. I think everyone is.

But we can be free, like truly free. Only by laying everything down and realizing that we are just his kids in this beautiful playground of a world. We can just rest and change our way of thinking.

Metanoia.

What is the Bible?

The subject comes up over and over in traditional Christian circles, and by traditional Christian circles, I mean Christianity that has only existed in said form for a few hundred years. The Bible is the Word of God, repeated ad nauseam from the pulpit, or spoken from people who claim to be experts of apologetic banter. People base their entire relationships upon whether or not someone believes that the Bible is the Word of God, whole denominations are built upon this premise.

But it is all a lie.

I made a video a few months ago and posted it to YouTube and it was a poem of sorts, not your traditional poem, but a narration explaining my primary perspective on this.

Jesus shows the true nature of God, not the Bible. How many wars, how much death, how much inhumane treatment was created through a twisting of the Bible? Al...

But I wanted to take a minute to really, truly get down to what I believe the Bible is. Because so many people are obsessed with it as a symbol. People burn them because it offends others, along with the Flag of the United States, they do this because it triggers the most conservative of all of us. But what if the Bible is not what we were taught?

Imagine how much freer we would be if we were never offended. Like truly never offended by anything at anytime. If we weren’t offended at all the power of the offense is drained away and loses all of its ability to trigger. This is true about racial relations and other things as well. If the protesters knew they couldn’t offend us by burning Bibles or flags, their power is removed.

What if we laughed in the face of offense?

Like truly let out a belly chortle when someone sought to hurt or offend us? The power removed from such an item and we would truly be free, in the truest sense of the word!

So getting back to my original topic of the Bible, What is the Bible?

Here is my thoughts on what it is and who the Word of God truly is.

The Bible didn't take on flesh for us, The Bible didn't Vicariously live as us, The Bible didn't die with us. The Bible wasn't resurrected with us. The Bible isn't the Word of God... Only Jesus is.

It is truth from the human perspective looking at God, Jesus is the Truth from God's perspective looking at us.

The biblio-idolatry of the American church is heartbreaking because most of us don't truly realize what the Bible is. It is truth from the human perspective looking at God, Jesus is the Truth from God's perspective looking at us.

John 1 is pretty clear on the identity of the Word of God, and those who argue that the Bible is the Word of God can find no evidence of that assertion in the book they claim to be the Word of God. The Bible in it’s current form has only existed for a few hundred years, considering Johannes Gutenberg first published it in 1450. Almost 1500 years after Jesus, so if it was “The Word of God” why wasn’t it available sooner? Do you think God abandoned everyone that didn’t have the Bible for 1500 years?

You are the very Word of God too, because you are in the Word of God and the Word of God is in you. Written on your hearts, and set as a seal on your arm and your head. You look like Jesus, I look like Jesus.

Remove the offense you might feel and be as a full grown human that is found in Christ.

Does a Canvas Say to Itself, "I Want To Be A Masterpiece?"

I had a Twitter exchange today that inspired this question, and I thought of this when responding to something someone else said. The whole thing began when I opened Twitter under my @gngerjesus handle for the first time in awhile. A pastor whom I greatly respect, and who incidentally is the same age as myself, by the name of Steven Furtick tweeted, “You are already enough.”

Now I posted this same thing on Facebook a few years ago, and people came out of the woodwork to “educate me” on how wretched and disgusting I am to God. I even had one say that I was worthy of being burned at the stake. Hilariously, it came from a person who claimed to follow the man who said to his followers, “Love others as I love you.”

So when I saw the tweet from Steven, I noticed he just posted it and there weren’t a whole lot of comments so far, but I knew there would be many. So I decided to scroll through the replies that already came in. The first said, “I needed this today, Pastor.” The next was, “Yes! I am enough, thank you for reminding me.”

Then it went downhill from there. All of the reformed folks and people that were raised by Pastors who sucked on lemons for fun decided to comment. “I am wretched and disgusting, save for Jesus, I am not enough.” One response read, others came along talking about how they were, and I quote, “enough to go to Hell.” “People please disregard this statement, apart from Christ’s saving work, we are no where near enough.”

Another one came along that just broke my heart, “No, if I were already enough, then there would be no reason for Jesus to come and die for my sins…”

I replied to several of them, because this was the common theme that they misread Romans 6, and should probably re-read it slowly. Of course there were those that wanted the exact proof-texted part of Romans 6 by asking for the exact verse address. I replied that the whole of Romans 6 addresses how we are dead to sin and not dead in sin. Of course it fell on deaf ears.

Then the tweet that inspired this post. It was a meme of someone pointing to a book in someone else’s hand, it said “As you can see here, That’s not actually in the Bible.” My response was a simple one and read “It actually is. You ARE a masterpiece. Ephesians 2:10”

I would have left it at that until someone responded that I needed to read the two verses before that. Now some background about myself, in these last few years I have lived in Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians. The primary reason, is because like Paul I was trained in one particular way of seeing things, then I had an experience that caused me to reevaluate everything I believed. I call that point my awakening, when I saw Jesus in the yard at my mom’s house holding a boombox over his head, while it played “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel. I don’t know if it was a dream or if I actually saw him in the yard, all I know it I woke with every belief shattered. The first couple of months was uncomfortable, but fun. As I dug into all that Jesus had for me to see.

One of the first revelations I received in this time frame was that I was a masterpiece, and it was hard for me to hear because I had been through a lot in my life. Up until that point I was addicted to pornography, and it was this season that I was broken free from it. I am going on three years since I have been completely set free. (I know that isn’t the same thing as Paul who was a murderer before his moment of awakening, but for me it had just as much impact for me.)

I had also been through one failed engagement and after her a marriage that left me with nothing because I married a woman who turned out to be a scammer, I won’t go into that. Suffice it to say, I hated myself, I felt gross and disgusting, that no one really loved me. But then my life started changing in 2005, and I married my current wife in 2009. I still believed that I was disgusting, I was conspiratorial, angry. I thought the Republicans could do no wrong and the Democrats were evil, yeah I was one of them. I was addicted to talk radio and to Fox News. I went to church weekly, I was in the worship team, I believed I had been called to be a prophet, one of them angry prophets is what I thought.

So after reading the two verses above the one I was pointed two, it further proved my point. Paul pointed at the fact that we had nothing to do with our creation, nor our status as masterpieces, and I posed the simple question.

Does a canvas say to itself, “I want to be a masterpiece?”

When I shared the idea for this blog with a friend, he simply replied, “of course not, canvases can’t talk.” Which is the point I was trying to make. A canvas does not tell the artist painting strokes upon its fabric that it wishes to be a masterpiece no more than our actions will ever make us such. Our actions have absolutely nothing to do with what Jesus did, who came as us, lived our lives and died as us to show that God could never be separated from the essence of who we are, after all we are created in the image and likeness of Jesus, (by whom all things were created) Jesus did not come in our likeness, we were born in his.

The truth is simply that we are his masterwork, a stroke in beauty and divine hope and joy. He relishes the fact that like him we are creative, that we are powerful like him. The whole world groans for the sons and daughters of God to manifest.

So why don’t we manifest?

Why do we retreat in Platonic Dualism of Good and Evil? Good and evil are on the same tree, Life is the other one. Again, I will expound on this topic later, but for now our focus is entirely on Good or Evil and not Life. Our society devolves into cancel culture because we are so ingrained with this idea of Good or Evil, we don’t care what it does for the Life of another.

There was another Tweet by Steven Furtick after the one I mentioned where he said “The challenge in front of you is an indication of the power within you.”

Of course the reformed folks couldn’t resist, one even said, “God must be glorified and man must be abased.” Like seriously, where is that even in scripture? That is gobbledygook concocted by people who have made God into a monster and man into a pile of literal do-do under his feet. (Yes I misspelled do-do on purpose. Most modern theologies are plagued with the idea that we must do to be, even though they may not say that outright. So it is actual doo-doo.)

So the essence of this entire blog is this, we can no more demand to be made a masterpiece than a canvas can demand it’s painter to make it a masterpiece. We have no more hand in it than a mountain did with its shape, or a happy little tree with the direction its branches may grow. You are a masterpiece because you are, that’s it. He made the moon and stars, the entire cosmos where masterstrokes of his hand, and yet his most beloved creation is you and I.

Used Up and Cast Aside

I try to see the beauty in everyone, in every situation that I encounter. Sometimes that is difficult and I find myself getting angry and shutting down, withdrawing from those I love. Of course I go through seasons, some absolutely wonderful, some extremely difficult. I am going through one of those difficult seasons right now. I feel like I am beneficial to others but that others only use me until my usefulness has been exhausted. If I am not beneficial to their cause, ministry, business, life in general I am used up and cast aside. This has been an issue I have seen in my life for a long time. I know it is my tendency to put all of myself into something and push myself until I am exhausted, until I either have nothing left to give or I am cast aside by those people who I thought valued me.

In my faith I have been actively involved in many churches in my time on this Earth, all of which I over exert myself until I am tired and end up quitting a project or two to find balance. But that balance seems elusive like a shadow running from the sun. Most of the time I participate in the worship band, and volunteer until I am blue in the face, but in the last year I have found solace in restricting what I involve myself in. I found a tribe of folks that love me and value me, until they don’t and then I feel alone again.

But that is what this is all about, we are all really doing the best we can. We all have things we are good at, and we fake some things that we may otherwise struggle with. Fake it until we make it I have heard several times in my life. I also say that I am a jack of many trades but a master of none, the truth is I don’t really know anything… but am willing to learn.

My struggle is that I may look like I have it all together, but I really don’t. I have thoughts and opinions others don’t agree with, and I don’t agree with some thoughts and opinions of others. My political view is a hodgepodge of different things but mostly I am a freedom minded person. I do not believe that speech really hurts anyone, and if you do, well I am going to offend you, but my words will never physically harm you.

Recently, I had a very close friend that just up and cut ties with me, and it broke my heart. I thought eventually I would be able to touch base with him, but he cut off all communication with me, blocked me on all of his social media, etc. Not because of me, but because of the tribe I am part of. He wants to cut off that tribe and everyone in it. Not sure why I got lumped in with that, but I never believe in turning my back on friends, especially ones that I consider closer than brothers.

If you know me and feel like I have used you up and cast you aside, I am sorry. I repent now of those unkind things I may have said, I repent of the anger or hurt I may have harbored against you. Please forgive me.

My door is open.

It is not the Gospel to use others up and cast them aside when their usefulness is exhausted. It is not the Gospel to turn your back on people or to betray their trust.

The Gospel is simply to love others as Jesus loves us. Would Jesus turn his back on anyone? I don’t believe he would.

So Love…

As Jesus Loves…

The onus isn’t on us, but completely on him. He is the example of what we look like when we flow with Holy Spirit.

If you feel used up and cast aside, forgive those who’ve done it to you, and seek forgiveness from the people you’ve cast aside. We are a family, we are one.

People Sondering Will Blow Your Mind

Have you ever people watched?

This is something I do very often when I am in public. Places like malls, main street, even places like a Walmart can be a great source of people watching. One of the things I like to do is to put myself in the mind and body of the subject that I watch. I ask myself questions like that which I would ask myself normally. Watching someone shopping is always an interesting activity, not trying to be creepy or anything but to simply put myself in their shoes.

“Work was stressful today. I need a beer.”

“I have an interview tomorrow, need to make a good impression. “

“I need to remember to call my wife before I leave to make sure she doesn’t need anything.”

“I can’t wait to see my daughter’s face when she sees this.”

Knowing that every single person on this planet currently, the people that have lived and passed on, or yet to be born are all unique and completely original. Every single person has seen different things, even while looking at the same things. Fifty people could look at Niagara Falls and have a million different thoughts buzzing around in their heads.

Every single person is just as complex, varied, beautiful, complicated, as you are.

So what if we all participated in this? What if we all looked at everyone through different eyes. If we saw each other as complicated and complex, good but flawed, loved but longing for affection. If we truly could see other through eyes of curiosity and exploration we could then see people for who they really are.

We are all doing the best we can, with so little knowledge about the implications of it all.

I am brought to the thought of Jesus on the cross, as he looked at all the soldiers, Jewish religious leaders. normal people gathered around the cross he saw himself through their eyes. As he saw them for who they truly are, he called out,

“Father, forgive them.”

In anguish, he cried out not with the thought of himself, but with their thoughts flooding him like a massive river.

“Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing. “

The thoughts in his head filled with images of all of us in that very instant, everyone who ever lived, even as far ahead as the last man to ever live. In an instant, instead of pleading for his own life, he plead for the lives of every single person who had ever lived. and would ever live. In that moment, he became us, and we became him. He is our vicarious man, vicariously living as us so we can live as him.

Sure, the people who had nailed Jesus to the cross, left their homes that morning. Kissing their wives, hugging their kids, they walked to work with their friends they probably joked a crude joke or two. They probably laughed as their children cried seeing them disappear over the horizon. The religious leaders thought they were doing the right thing, they probably did the same thing, maybe they passionately prayed to God that they were doing the right thing. Maybe one of them bought a loaf of bread and some wine on their journey into work that day.

They though it was just another normal day, that tomorrow would be a normal day. They thought they knew what they were doing… but they really hadn’t a clue.

We think we know what we are doing, but in reality we are just kids playing in a sandbox, playing with LEGOs, drinking Capri Suns. We may do horrible things thinking we know better, but the truth is we don’t.

No one you see when you people watch truly know what they are doing, we are all just going through the motions of day to day life. We are all complex, unique, beautiful, and different.

So as you look at others in their day to day routines, picture Jesus on the cross. Who lived their life in that very instant. Picture Jesus crying out to Father to forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing when you face someone radically different then yourself. Don’t think of things they need to do, think of Jesus on the cross. The rainbow haired, gender confused person… think of Jesus on the cross. The people that are protesting injustice, think of Jesus on the cross. The police officers, think of Jesus on the cross. The homeless person, think of Jesus on the cross. The white person, black person, Indian person, Asian person… think of Jesus on the cross.

Think of Jesus on the cross in every instance you experience. Not only will your mind be blown at the information that will flood you, but you will be overwhelmed by a love for all mankind. No matter who they are, or who you are, Sonder with me, and love others as Jesus passionately loves us.