These First Century Second Covenant Scriptures are considered Christian. However, sources say that Jewish scholars are beginning to claim that the New Testament is written by Jews about Jews. Academics are finally claiming it as their own writings to be studied. This seems right and good to me. I will leave my meanderings in Scripture here for now.
First Century Second Covenant Scriptures
Matthew 27-28
Judas changed his mind
Threw the money on the floor
And went out and hanged
Himself
Crucify crucify him
They stripped him and put
A scarlet robe on him
And made a crown from
Long thorns
Spat on him
After the crucifixion
The soldiers threw dice
For his robe
Early Sunday morning
Mary Magdalene and the
Other Mary went out
To the tomb
Suddenly there was a great
Earthquake an angel of the
Lord came down and rolled
Away the stone
And sat on it
The guards shook with fear
The angel spoke to the women
I know you are looking for Jesus
He is alive
Go quickly and tell his disciples
To meet him in Galilee
I am with you always.
I leave the exploration of Scripture here now with the beginning of the birth, life, death and finally resurrection of the Messiah. Jesus, the God man, according to Scripture, and experience, is alive and acts on our behalf through the Holy Spirit. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf until the Second Coming. We can keep reading on our own about the things of the past, of the present, and of the things to come in the rest of the books of the New Testament.
Who do you say that I am? Creator, Saviour, Light of the world, Flourisher of humankind.
In this time of the extended and multiplied pandemic, life veers out of control. Yet where Dada was an art historical movement with no hope, here I offer and live the hope that God can sort it out. On the ground here, we have sound bites, daily tragedy, and moments of friendship. We ground ourselves in the knowledge that others have made it through societal trauma, but not unscathed. We are reminded that though the mountains should fall into the sea, God is the ground of our being.
Under one thousand word gleanings:
Kidd, Sue Monk. When the Heart Waits. 1990.
649 words
*** as a narrative painter *** letting life happen *** three crises of the spirit *** Become who you are. *** outwardly fine *** unfold and deepen self *** truth in unorthodox places *** confront our deepest wishes *** a call to waiting *** cocoon *** Incubate pain and let it birth something new. *** Creativity flourishes not in certainty but in questions. *** Pain can be sacred too. *** Contemplative waiting is consenting to be where we really are. *** The flower is contained in the seed. *** the garden for soul work *** so busy saving souls *** seedbed of divine life *** struggle for authenticity *** internal restructuring *** petaled truth deep within *** I am one whose goal is to let God live in me and uniquely express life through me to be available like fruit on a tree. *** bare mystery of simply being *** her won validation *** Sometimes a graceful wasting of time invites a holy encounter. *** We are raised to be givers even when it mutilates us. *** holy discontent *** the courage to enter a great absurdity *** God’s imprint *** The only way the soul can be manifest is through conflict. *** burning bush *** Life is full of cocoons. *** You heard my voice *** changed in substance *** I want to serve you in the beauty of my holiness. *** transform through meaning *** how we cross transitions *** I see a need for women at camp to do soul care. *** intrusive events, betrayal *** threshold, the loyalties that no longer have life for us *** what to leave behind *** a threshold *** Crisis separates from the herd. *** signposts *** feelings: attacked, impeded, handled, patronized, misled, crucial information withheld *** lion in Oz, find the inner mettle to be himself *** glittering gemstones, meadow of the soul *** Symbols are the language of the soul. *** images that point to much deeper realities *** What is lost and unutterable inside us becomes real and accessible. *** Laughter is soul-making. *** Having done all we can, we allow God to work directly on the more secret and deeply ingrained attachments . . . allow God to do releasing through . . . events. *** It is in the darkness that we find true liberty. *** We have to risk everything in order to gain everything. *** The fruit of letting go is birth. *** How do we create threads that hold us? *** Let another walk away. *** Spin a cocoon . . . in quietness and confidence. *** return and rest *** cremaster *** artists *** Rest is just as holy as work. *** building a nest for herself and God in her heart *** Strength in weakness is the paradox of the cocoon. *** For what do I wait? *** My hope is in Thee. *** Would you like me to wait with you? *** incubate *** Why was Jesus in the tomb for three days? *** self-knowledge *** Live the answers? *** Light is stronger than darkness. *** Be what we are. *** We are carried in God’s womb. *** recasting the old story *** Experience of internal war pushes us beyond ourselves. *** substance changed color . . . ritualizing my healing *** to recognize my body as a receptacle of holiness *** our cross *** tattoos, Flannery *** I discovered a new room inside myself. *** pleaser stops pleasing *** living our religion like a dance *** God is the Piper *** a memory of delight from my life – chickadee-dee-dee *** cocoon and play in God’s presence *** being a writer *** Labor pains are necessary to bring about forgiveness . . . *** authenticity *** Still waters, restore my soul *** images, state of soul, live in community differently, look for truth, hope for a solid practice ***
Irish Jesuit *** struggle, reconciling Roman Catholic faith with Japanese culture *** adapt their beliefs to the world they inhabit *** painful, paradox, loneliness *** from certainty to doubt to loneliness to communion *** mystery, presence *** rereading, film, sustenance *** sin and betrayal, martyrdom and apostasy *** conflict between East and West , especially in its relationship to Christianity *** Basque Francis Xavier, 1549 *** Alessandro Valignano, foresight and tenacity of purpose *** expelled, martyred *** revocation of apostacy *** adaptation to Japanese tradition *** Catholicism is not a solo, but a symphony *** Hellenistic Christianity does not fit Japan, neither does it fit the modern West *** thesis controversial *** prologue *** apostatized, torture, Church in Rome, experienced missionary work, fictitious report, frightful persecution *** evicted, Kyushi exiled on board five junks bound for Macao and Manila *** Thirty-seven priests refused to abandon their flock and secretly stayed in Japan. *** Ferreira was one of these underground priests. He continued to inform his superiors . . . *** IN addition to five priest, Beatrice da Costa, wife of Antonio da Silva, and her daughter Maria, were tortured, since they too, in spite of all attempts at persuasion, had refused to give up their faith. *** displayed a faith worthy of a man *** Uneme realized he would never win. *** effect of spreading our doctrine . . . strengthening the faith of Christians *** He decided to bring them back to Nagasaki. *** They would go to Japan; they would investigate with their own eyes. Superiors were slow to give consent. *** agreed this was a dangerous mission *** 1637 Portugese missionaries, Lisbon to India, to Japan *** ceaseless rain, heat, disease, mast of ship broken, reached Goa, not allowed to harbor, Macao Dutch sailors left Nagasaki *** letters of Rodrigues in Portugese library *** Pax Christi, Macao welcome *** exhausted, malaria, missionary college *** secret mission, sad fact fraught *** silk trade, Japanese religions and merchants came to Macao, closing of their country *** guide *** white outs *** We asked God to protect us so that we do not run into a big storm in the East China Sea. *** malaria, repair of ship, service to mankind *** When you think of it, our Lord himself entrusted his destiny to untrustworthy people. *** There is no alternative but to trust Kichijiro . . . drunkard. *** Beneath the light of the candle I am sitting with my hands on my knees, staring in front of me. *** miracle, baptized *** What did the face of Christ look like? This point the Bible passes over in silence. *** Feed my lambs. *** But my mood is such that I cannot keep from writing; for I feel the duty of leaving you with something written down. *** But quite by accident iumbled in his stammering Japanese I caught the words ‘gratia’ and ‘Santa Maria’. Garrpe and I exchanged glances. *** A bird came flying . . . countless twigs came floating . . . *** We had not fled. Like Judas he had gone to betray us. *** I bit my lip with shame. *** Needless to say, these people had met neither priest nor brother for six years. *** At the dead of night we offer mass. *** rainy season *** Never have I felt so deeply the meaning of being a priest. *** poor farmers *** Anyone who informs on us priests receives a reward of three hundred pieces of silver. *** lice *** As I pushed open the wet door, the song of birds broke in from the trees like a rising fountain. *** pleasure of a sun bath *** our future hideout *** We were secretly baptizing a baby. *** In the woods a cicada was singing hoarsely. Everywhere else was silent. *** You must be hungry. *** The sun glistened like a needle; the islands spread out over its surface. *** The priest was silent. *** I didn’t betray you for money, I was threatened by officials. ***
“Spring Rose Heart at the Ferry Building Gallery” photo by DS
Artist Unknown
Here are my explorations today:
Dhillon, Kamal. Black and Blue Sari. 2009
559 Words
*** personality mischievous *** survival, spoke up for herself *** protested, wanted to be liked, envied flight attendants, loved the rain *** afraid of frogs and geckos *** homesick, avoided embarrassment *** didn’t want to get married, feared consequences *** disillusioned, courageous, unprepared, notices injustice *** insight *** too tiny to defend herself *** did not gossip *** positive thinking *** uneasiness, often sick, dread, resentment, humiliation, violence *** reached out *** loss of self, innocence, shame, silence *** terror, bargaining, about face, spoke up *** peace, affection, lied about, tolerance, shock *** regret, trapped, controlled *** frustrated, tricked? *** working hard, connecting *** had to get my children, torture *** child invited to discipline, her mother too, shame, hostage, threats *** birth defect, blame, love, does not mention any childbirth pain *** celebration, silence, sadness, comparison, double-standard, tired *** envy, loss of control over infant *** car accident, cruelty, frustrated, despising *** verbal assaults, his pleasant performances, sleep deprivation *** the look of death, deprivation *** seeing stars *** swearing, silent witnesses, secrets, hidden calls *** wanted to leave, charming looks and sweet talk, a good story, parents believed him *** disappointment, suspense, lack of information, began to believe what he said *** called her a bad mom to her child *** child said okay to new mom *** forced to sit in a corner *** watched *** threatened family, hope, dreaming *** working, joy from children *** violence, police *** jail, blame, apology, lies *** not believed, torture, electrocuted *** remembrance of time confused *** accusation, crazy-making *** payback *** not believed, trapped *** suggested suicide for $ *** kids sent away, lawyer, left *** went back *** torture, death free? *** women’s shelter, reconcile *** beatings, harm kids? *** no witnesses, escape, committal *** sedation, hunger, mental hospital *** spoke on her own behalf, escaped, sanctuary *** numbing, name-calling, disrespect, another wife? *** screaming, help *** A light shone over the water. *** ticket for one, children taken away *** I chose to abandon my own children. *** tracked down *** not giving the children phone messages *** yes *** whispers, interrupted by a message from her *** hope, departure, separation,, kindness and testimony *** Jesus *** prayer list *** met husband at airport *** remember *** horror gain, reprieve, return *** believed *** welfare workers were friends of in-laws *** bribed people in high places *** monster in-laws, children screaming *** strengthened her mind *** fantasy life *** gossiping turned against him *** urge to use knife *** kerosene *** others in trauma *** protection, left, hungry, stole *** police *** cut off utilities *** plan *** longed for super powers *** had to fight, sleep outside *** Hannah never spoke out in my defense again. *** yes *** I told them to discipline me *** scars, drugged *** zombie-like, shut down *** charming, silence, worn down, shaking *** support from sister-in-law, not *** women’s shelter, shared suite *** back again to be with kids *** prayer *** left and moved many times with kids *** shelter, respect, church *** friends, Jesus with me *** could not forgive *** law-makers, divorced *** prayer, united with other two kids *** hard to get children, in-laws *** house inspector, adjournments, remember *** betrayed by reporter *** non-payment *** funeral *** Supreme Court *** vengeance not mine ***
ShellseekerReflections 