Lightning

I recently dreamt that I stood under a bolt of lightning. A searing stream of energy poured forth out of a white globe in the clouds. Amazingly, I was not hurt. Rather than feeling afraid, I felt safe. As I watched it move across the landscape and over me, somehow I knew that it would protect me even as it charged everything else in its path. It felt like God’s powerful presence surrounding me.

As the dream faded into the reality of the day, the vivid memory of it remained. Then several unique things happened that brought great alteration, significant change, and God’s hand upon my life. I kept going back to the imagery of the dream. 

The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. (Psalm 29:7) In the forces of nature, we find God. Too often we only hear of how this indicates punishment—as in, “If you’ve been bad, you’ll get struck by lightning!” Even worse is to place blame: “The earthquake was God’s retribution on those wicked ones.”

The whole creation groans.(Rom 8:22) It bucks and heaves just as we do inside of our souls, yearning for peace. My dream reminded me that God’s lightning-strong power is for the world, and uniquely, for me.

Unleash your creative power in our world, God, and in my life. Amen.

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Read Bono, A.S. Byatt, and the Dalai Lama's personal repsonse to books of the Bible.

The why and the how of lightning.

How do I capture something like this on film?

Guidance

Around the narrow turn, my bicycle sails through a damp but warm October morning. Downhill over wet leaves, trees in a canopy above, I think, “What a perfect ride.” Just then I see a parked construction vehicle blocking the road. Too close to avoid, I brake, spin out over the leaves, and take a bad fall. My left shoulder takes the brunt of the impact.

Three months later, thinking things are back to normal, I go to the gym. After a couple workouts in a week, my shoulder is worse than before. Another three months, and here I sit, with a physical therapist, still in pain. “You thought it was healed,” he says, showing me a mechanical diagram of the muscles and tendons. “It will heal. But nobody told you, it needs to be guided to heal the right way.” 

The body is a delicate thing, but also strong and able to heal when guided to do so. How much more so is the soul delicate, strong, and able to heal, when guided to move toward healing. Such guidance comes from mentors who understand the why and the how of things better than I do.

The wise listen and find guidance. (Proverbs 1:5) Who are my mentors? What wounds—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual—are not healing well for lack of proper guidance? 

In my wounds, God, help me not to ignore the guidance available to me. Amen.

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Albrecht Durer remains one of the world's most influential and creative artists. He wanted to understand not only the how of drawing but the why. He combined a scientific understanding of the body with artistic observation, depth of feeling, and spirituality. Some of his images have become icons the world over, such as "Praying Hands."

Creators by Paul Johnson is an energetic and very readable account of people like Dürer who have left a lasting mark on the world through their art. Bach, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Jane Austen, T.S. Eliott, Picasso, and Walt Disney are among the lives depicted. 

Johnson argues that the kind of creativity they pursued, often under great duress, was of a different degree than most other forms of creativity, but that the creative spirit lies within everyone. Johnson examines whether there is such a thing as a "typical artist," comparing and contrasting their lives, and finding great inspiration in their efforts.

Durer was also a writer and philosopher who wanted to pass along his knowledge to future artists.

Johnson says of Dürer's On Human Proportion, "The conclusion to the third book deals with aesthetics and the relationship between man, art, and God."

Heroes' Feet: One Day Without Shoes

Chapel Address, Concordia College—New York 

April 5, 2011

As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:38

Look at your feet. Look closely. What do you see there? What adjective would you use? Large? Small? Calloused? Lumpy? Sore? Painted? Cute?

How about this one—beautiful. I’m not sure we usually think of feet as beautiful. I remember trying to draw feet in drawing class, having to focus on the shapes and contours. I realized that the more you look at them, the more beautiful they are. Like a lot of things, actually, the more you look at them.

How beautiful your sandaled feet, O prince’s daughter! Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of an artist’s hands! (Song of Solomon 7:1)

Another adjective—heroic. Depictions of Greek heroes going into battle are always barefoot. I wonder why? It is a sign of strength, surely. By connecting to the earth we draw on its power. But we also draw on the connective power of shared humanity, as we walk the same ground today as those who have no shoes. Maybe they are heroes. Maybe you are heroes. When you see your feet, do you think, these are a hero’s feet?

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, says Isaiah.

You are a hero because of the good news you bring today, the solidarity you proclaim by going without shoes. 

But you will also go places with these feet. Places that you never thought possible. You will be a hero in those places, because you will bring shoes to children, you will bring good tidings and love to forgotten places. You won’t bring God, he’s already in those places. But you’ll discover Him there. As you sit at others’ feet.

Jesus washed his disciples’ feet to signify that he was their servant. And to remind them of baptism, that their sin was washed away. But it was also to send them, to say to them, you have beautiful and heroic feet. You will go places with these feet.

There’s one more adjective—loving. Are your feet loving? Can you love someone’s feet? There was a woman who was so overcome with love for Jesus that she washed his feet with her tears and caressed them with her hair. Guys and gals take note: if you love someone, say it to their feet. A little washing, caressing, and perfume will go a long way. Maybe at the end of today especially.

Jesus washes our feet so that we may go out to the farthest corners of the earth, to give of ourselves and become who we really are: beautiful, heroic, and loving. Amen.

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