Spirit Filled Bob

I finally finished watching No Direction Home, Martin Scorsese’s Documentary on Bob Dylan. I had seen the first half of it on PBS last year in MN but didn’t see the second part until I borrowed it from my brother. I thought it was pretty good. I think it gave Jill a new appreciation for Dylan.

My favorite quote from the documentary came from some crazy looking hippie who worked with Dylan on one of his albums. When speaking of Dylan’s success, he said, “I believe giving credit where credit is due. I don’t think Dylan had a lot to do with it. I think God, instead of touching him on the shoulder; He kicked him in the (butt). Really, and that’s where all that came from. He can’t help what he’s doing. I mean, he’s got the Holy Spirit about him. You can look at him and tell that.”

What Lies Ahead, I Have No Way of Knowin'

I’m going to be out of town this next week, so if I don’t post any, that’s the reason.

Keep Jill and me in your prayers if you remember. We’re still seeking God’s direction for the next step in our lives.

I’ve always been a bit of a worrier. I tend to live in the future and plan everything out well in advanced, so not knowing where we’re going has been a little stressful for me. But, I’ve felt a lot better about not knowing these past few weeks. I’ve come to the conclusion that waiting for God’s leading is much better than rushing into some forced decision. Everything doesn’t have to happen according to my timetable. God certainly has the power to lead us where and when He desires. If He really wants us to be somewhere, I’m sure he can get us there. The most important thing I can do is simply be faithful today and let God worry about the future.

I came across these words of Henri Nouwen that encouraged my soul. “Be sure that you love the life you’re living now, your studies, your prayers, your friendships…Then you can trust that God will reveal to you the direction to go when the time comes. But don’t try to know now what you only have to know a few years from now.”

The Honeycomb Evangelization

The conquest of my holistic remedy indoctrination of the world has begun. Jill was getting groceries yesterday, and the cashier sneezed and said, “Oh, my allergies are killin’ me!” Jill responded, “You may want to try taking some honeycomb. I know it sounds weird, but my husband took it this spring and his allergies have been cured…”

A Long Lost Friend

Five or six years ago I read Henri Nouwen’s Sabbatical Journey. It is his personal diary from the last year of his life. I picked it up last night and read through some of the passages I had marked. It encouraged my soul. I felt as if I was reconnecting with a dearly loved friend who had moved far away and whom I had forgotten about. Nouwen’s unguarded and honest reflections have a way of reminding me that I am not alone in my journey. His words express what I know to be true but have not been able to articulate. Here are a few tidbits:

“Why should I ever think or say something that is not love? Why should I ever hold a grudge, feel hatred or jealously, act suspiciously? Why not always give and forgive, encourage and empower, give thanks and offer praise? Why not?”

“It’s time to make a radical choice for solitude, prayer, and quiet writing.”

“I pray that I can be focused on Jesus and not too concerned about what everyone thinks or says.”

“The more faithful I am to my solitude, the more fruitful it will be in my community.”

Existential Suffering

I just finished reading an extremely moving book called Lament for a Son by Nicholas Wolterstorff. It is Wolterstorff’s journal of sorrow following the tragic death of his twenty-five year old son who died in a climbing accident. The book reminded me a lot of Lewis’ A Grief Observed. Wolterstorff’s and Lewis’ journeys through grief are considerably different, but both books give us a deeply personal account of suffering. Both give us hope that God can be trusted, even in the midst of tragic and unexplainable pain.
These books remind me that philosophical arguments are often rendered powerless in the face of existential suffering. Reason provides little comfort to those whose loved ones have tragically died. It is difficult to see the point of philosophical arguments through eyes soaked with tears. In times of great personal suffering, it is the resources of divine revelation that give us hope. The suffering of Christ reminds us that we do not suffer alone. The Resurrection reminds us that death has been conquered. The presence of the Holy Spirit fills us and allows us to go on living despite our pain.