Lenten Words

How is that dance with doubt and curiosity going this week so far?  Are you finding ways to let both sing to your soul?  The beautiful part of doubt is that there are other partners and friendships it can form and fashion to feed/fuel our lives in amazing ways...which brings me to the next three words after doubt:

27.  Uncertainty/Doubt
28.  Justice
29.  Kindness
30.  Humility
31.  Want
32.  Need
33.  Palm or Parade

You might recognize those three as from Micah 6:8 ~ to paraphrase ~ what does God require but to seek justice, show loving-kindness, and walk humbly with God.  When doubt starts to creep and sneak into my life, it is not always easy to kindle the flame of curiosity.  When doubt starts to show up casting a cynical shadow on every thing causing me to think, "Well this is another fine mess you've gotten yourself into."  One of the ways to break through the cycle of shame and blame is to seek justice.  I know you can faithfully translate Micah 6:8 as also, "do justice."  But I prefer the word, "seek" because for me there is some elements that justice needs God's persistent presence or it can easily just become my agenda.  I seek justice prayerfully...in concert with God (who humbly asks me to go on a journey where I don't always know the destination).  I seek justice realizing that it is a process with others.  It is not all up to me...nor do I excuse myself to the sidelines to watch as a spectator.  Seeking justice means showing up...learning cause I don't know it all...and trying to work with others.  And sometimes by the traces of God's grace in our seeking justice...we do justice.  But it is always in community...which is where loving kindness comes into play.  Loving kindness is in the Hebrew Scriptures how God treats us as humanity.  God, with loving kindness, formed and fashioned us from dirt and dust...breathed love into us.  God, with loving kindness, continually calls us to connect with each other.  We need places and people where we might practice loving kindness with each other.  These places and spaces might be growing even more scarce in a world where there is too much brokenness and bitterness and bickering. 

This week, I heard of a state government, where the leader mixed up the different political parties so they were not all sitting together.  There was no other side of the aisle.  You were next to someone who you might not see eye-to-eye with...next to someone you would vote opposite from...and the leader of that state government said some of the best moments were in-between debates seeing Republicans and democrats and independents laughing together.  Maybe that is too simplistic...but it might also be the way loving kindness links arms with seeking/striving for justice.

Finally, all of this happens with a clear and consistent call to walk humbly with God.  There is so much I don't know.  Anyone who has read this blog for any length of time, right now, said to your computer screen, "Amen."  There is so much mystery and meaning...possibility and potential... uncertainty and doubt with curiosity that causes me to keep exploring and experiencing the world. 

Doubt has other dance partners who cause new moves to be embodied and experienced.  When doubt asks justice...kindness...humility out onto the floor there is a beautiful creation of movement that is for the sake of the world God so loves...offering us more than a trace of God's grace.

Blessings ~~