long enough to be felt

"to love someone means to move" fr. Guissani

(foto courtesy TWLOHA.com)

Our words need actions to come alive.  Even the greatest word s, faith, hope, love, truth or the ever more majestic words, like triumph, correspondence, enamored, devotional- they all need some sort of action on the other side to make them come ALIVE.  
  There is a big difference between knowing something, having it in your mind as true and real; and believing or rather feeling something.  I know my mom and dad love me, but sometimes I don't feel like it (same for myself in regards to them).  I believe we know a lot of things in life, but it is becoming increasingly difficult in the crazy and fast paced life that we live, for us to allow ourselves and others to feel these things we speak on and believe so well.
Sometimes in our conversations and interactions, we (and I only say we cause I frequently do this) look right past the person speaking and think about something we are doing later or maybe what we are going to say in reply.  It is hard not to, right?  Or, even worse, in a Christian sense, we rush our friend speaking on the issue at hand or cannot make time for them altogether because we promise, "oh I'll just pray for you, later".  Of course prayer is important, rather, it is essential (Luke 18:1), but it is not nor has it ever been a scape goat.  We still need to move.  We need to remain, true to what comes up, over and over in our hearts.  Especially when we don't feel like it. 
I think we have a natural connotation to put things in order, place value on our relationships; preferences.  We would rather hang out with him or her, rather go to the concert instead of the dinner, rather be with friends instead of at the family reunion, rather turn off my phone when I know my friend wants to talk...
and yet the type of love that we are to move in, the kind of love that still loves in this broken world, the unconditional love, the truest sense of this glorious four letter word, is still possible.  Even today, even in this very moment.  But we have to let it go.  We have to let it return.  We have to place it in our minds before we go to bed and let it rise with us in the morning sun- We have to let go, and let Love.  It is possible.  It is crazy, it is daring, bold and trans formative, it is real.  It looks different for every single person, and it just maybe the hardest thing in the world, maybe even harder then bungee jumping, Tour de Francing, or storming the beach on D-Day facing emanate death at the hands of evil manifested in human form. 

What does it look like to give ourselves over to Love?

and can we stay with it, with you, long enough to be felt?

"because I know, what its like, everyone that I know, every place that i go, every story that I'm told,
It's love, love, love, it's love, love, love, that we're lookin for"

LISTEN:
mat kearney- "everyone I know"

presence: Part II

In the last post I spoke about companions and shared a little bit about the companions I have been so fortunate to have in my life.  The companions I have and the companion I am leads into this next idea of presence; that we can be in a place, in different places during a day, yet we may not actually "be there".  Companionship is so great and so important because it allows you to share your heart, to share the very essence of life and living.  It may actually slow life down, slow it down to allow you to breathe, to laugh.  But this is under duress.  Companionship and slowing down enough to grab a cup of coffee with a friend is becoming more and more difficult.  We are Moving TOO fast people!  One issue I see with this is the fact that we can be in different places and do different things over the course of a day and yet not really think about anything we have done or witnessed.  We are not present in the very life we are living!
  There is a scene in one of my favorite movies, Garden state, where Andrew (Zach Braff) has just finished telling the story about how his mother became paralyzed when he was a child.  The scene is set as four people are sitting by a fireplace and the only light cascading through the room is the lit place in a giant, yet otherwise empty living room.  Andrew is sharing the story with everyone, but Sam (Natalie Portman) is the only one really paying attention (they have all had a little to drink).  As Andrew finishing telling the story, Sam asks a striking question,
Sam: You're in it right now, aren't you?
Andrew Largeman: What?
Sam: My mom always says that, when she can see I'm like working something out in my head, she's like, 'you're in it right now' and I'm looking at you're telling this story, and you're definitely in it.
Our lives and our relationships are lived out in reality, but sometimes we get so into a moment, usually from the past, that we exit the reality we are in.  The thing that is neat about this, is that, even though we are simultaneously in two places, in one story, while sharing the same story or moment, those listening are focused on us and this part of us we want to share.  We are "in" one story while living another!  Yet the reality of it is that we have to be present to be in either or rather, both. 
  A great priest once said (Fr. Guissani) "to discover Christ as a presence, we must first come to the conclusion that Christ is indeed, present".  Jesus may be the best example of a presence.  He was always in the moment, so fired up, so focused.  We should be as such for those around us.  Human connection is one of the most sacred and amazing gifts we have to share in this life, and even with the best companions in the world, your presence is still required to live out and enjoy this story; to be "in it". 
  Never underestimate the power of presence.  Entering into a place, a situation, a relationship, or continuing into an existing one, means so much to the people around you.  I had the opportunity to see an old friend recently.  And although we have not kept up for awhile (yet hopefully will this summer!) my presence at his house made hm extremely happy and I believe, was a bit of light for a few of the other guests at the party, especially the kids.  Although it was a different setting then I was used to, my presence was needed there, and, as the band Sleeping at Last puts it so well, "the Light that we hold (EVERYONE HAS THIS), must be buried, buried to Bloom".

Dear__________________,
Welcome to summer.  I'll be voyaging with you the entire time.  Your presence is formerly requested at the rope swing, the mall, the beach, work, the bike race, the family barbecue, the trip to New York, your birthday, the fireworks, camp, your nephews house, a mountain hike, and on and on...
Will you choose to accept?  Will you meet me there?

Your gracious companions,
Infinity, Destiny, & Yahweh

listen:
Brooke Fraser- "CS Lewis song"