Diagonal

I am reminded tonight that if things do not flow from the relationship that I have with Christ there is no true heart within the action. If I am too busy to seek out God individually to sit before HIs throne boldly approaching His wonderful face then I miss the point. If I am too busy doing ministry that I miss ministry on the way I miss relationship with the two things that matter God and man.

I have missed this.

All my life I have tried to excell in one aspect, God or man, much to the neglect of the other.

I am begining to find though that community begins when those two aspects are combined. I call this the diagonal relationship.

What was once only horizontle and what was once only verticle can be no more.

This diagonal is the road I traverse.

Over the course of this summer I normally sit in the UU of the college here and sit and people watch and think. Over the course of these past three or so weeks of doing this I have observed a few things worthy of note.

1.People always love to be in conversation.
2.People don't like to be alone.

I was sitting one day and saw this mom and her two kids walking by. The girl stopped to tie her shoe and over the course of the time she took tying her shoe her mom walked probably forty feet or so ahead. The girl couldn't bare the thought of being alone. Forty feet away. This struck me. This little girl loves her mom and wants to simply be in her presence as close as possible.

I was sitting another day in the UU and I saw this older lady praying and reading Mere Christianity. She had a huge smile and a peace about her the look of one who had just realized that they were loved. More impprtantly though as if she realized she was not alone.

Another day I was sitting back and listening to a conversation people were having the floor below me. It was about the most pointless things according to my mind. But then it struck me. Perhaps it's not merely about the conversation but the presence.

Jacob declares in Genesis " God was in this place, and I surely did not know." I know it to be so true so often that we strive for those times of pure verticality. So often I see us just waiting till that blessed moment where we can be with God alone? We miss the point of this life though. People were made for people!

Like often happens in dating relationships a bond becomes so strong much to the neglect of all the others. We have all experienced this:a friend who finds a deeper relationship with someone else and neglects you and most everyone because of it
But you know what! I am guilty of this with my Father in heaven.For most of my life I have been so captivated with Him that I lost track of everything else. Not a bad thing by anymeans but I refused to recognize I was still here on earth. I am part ministry as well as part worshiper. I eagerly look forward to the day when I can worship fully and unhindered but there is still a job to go to. bills to pay. relationships to build. food to eat. cleaning. videogames. and everything else this world is full of.

My dad was very wise when he once said" the mark of true christiany is how you learn to make it work in the real world.

Elise was saying something funny the other day. She said it was really odd to get to talk to the pastors of the church we attend here in SLO. I asked her why. She said. " They are real people." That is the the mark of a true christian right there!

JG