Angels & Demons

We are not Angels.

We are not beyond this world, free of its state, purely obedient to God's will, righteous because we are made to be righteous. We ought not pretend we are, ought not build a shelter from the created world, re-creating an existence absent the flesh.

Tempting it may be to relinquish the five senses, to cut off a very distinct and real portion of what has been given to us by Creator God, who in turn commanded our caretaking of it. Safe it may seem, but it is a glass house built with an eye on appearances and contrary to the ways and commands of YWWH.

We are created in the image of our Maker: body, soul & spirit. Appropriately it may seem to rank these aspects, to value the body as the least of these. Yet all have been created, and none are to be abolished by any attempt on our part. We are more than Angels, and regardless of our efforts, we have bodies to not merely contend with, but rather to honor God with.

Neither are we Demons.

We are not bound to this world, purely obedient to our Flesh and its demands, righteous because there is no standard by which to allow judgment. We ought not pretend we are, ought not to feed the dark regions of our flesh in gluttony, malnourishing the remainder of our being. Tempting, tantalizing, thrilling, edgy, and continuously failing to fulfill.

We are created in the image of our Maker: body, soul & spirit. Binding our selves to the flesh, feeding the body with no concern for soul and spirit, will find us atrophied from lack of nourishment. We are more than Animals, and regardless of our efforts, we have a Soul to contend with, a mind and person within us which needs exposure to the glory of the Creator and to then naturally react in imitation. We have a Spirit to acknowledge, an identity needing the adoption of the Father of us all.

We are a Special Creation.

Not stated in arrogance, but humility. This planet is destructive and even with the greatest of victories we may claim in 'helping it', failure surrounds our lives. We imitate Angels, locking ourselves away, spiritual aristocrats. We imitate Animals, feeding on the darkness with no concern beyond the moment. And in these fashions we fall terribly short of the fullness of our created beings.

Sok is dead

Sok was a wary soul.
Spending time amongst those of previous generations, he witnessed an acting out of the faith. It disturbed him, and he cautioned against becoming as they were: functioning Christians who partake in the activity of the faith but do not live in a manner of the faithful.

"My prayer, O Lord, is that I never become as they are..."

The foolishness of Sok was to misunderstand the path leading from one who is laying down before the living God Jehovah to one who does as Christians do (when in Rome...). It is not the path of overt decisions against faith; rather, it is the path of daily living, of small decisions unnoticed and the rare large decision rationalized. We end up where we are walking, even in this occasion, without realizing we were on the journey.

"...if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again?"
[matthew]

Sok is dead. Alan, who is Sok, is a bit shocked to realize it.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love... even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive with Christ"
[ephesians]

Maybe God will see fit to perform one of those acts He seems so very dedicated to: the resurrection of who He made me to be.

Abide in Me, and I in you... he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit... by this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples."
[john]

We talk big, and walk small, and the world has found us out.

death of a niceman

As I have opened up to realizing and acknowledging the 'spot' that I am residing in at this moment in life, with a general pervading of unhappiness not common in my nature, I see how seeds of cynicism have taken root - I am wholeheartedly halfhearted about it.
I was not then as I am now.
October last we had friends of the past six years over for lunch - a group who have known and traveled with me in my adult-adult years. An honest, unpretentious comment casually forwarded in response to me cavorting in favor of my gentleman nature: I am not a nice guy. Cutting me 'to the quick', I did not know how to respond. My friends were honestly assessing me: I was not who I fancied I was. More accurately, who I remembered myself to be.
I was once one of the nicest guys people knew. A ridiculous statement, to be sure, but factually accurate. Maggie married him, not me.
The observations were not made with venomous intent, but I was shamed. The little Jesuses of my daily life, my wife, my children, my friends, neighbors, coworkers... they share space with one who has lost his generous smile and humble nature. Maggie says that my actions were still right by God, but my eyes were opened to the wake of my words and tones heaved upon others. The quick-witted leader may have followers and evoke laughter, but does not honor God or His creation with the enormous respect they both deserve. Plead to God, plead for His forgiveness. 'Restore us, Elohey Tzebaoth, make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved' (psalm80).
It is dangerous folly to rest ourselves in the knowledge that any particular aspect of our Character is complete. Rather, we continuously remake ourselves through our daily living. It may be that I learned that in October, and that God began something in me that day which has stripped me of my pretense and replanted a Christian tenderness towards others once in bloom within me. With God's help, I may yet be saved from the curmudgeon.