NEGATIVITY

I often find myself saying or maybe thinking "O I can't believe that."  Usually it is something I do not want to believe even if I could.  The problem is that my negative attitude can be a stumbling block; especially if I see something as black or white.

The controversary around Genesis has centered on the creation account.  Now it was created no one knows and what methods were used and the time it took are not what is important in this story.  What is important is the fact that there were two voices; one positive and the other negative.  The negative voice said you do not have to believe and you are free to make your own choices.  This sounded good so Adam and Eve were fooled into thinking they could become like God in one simple act.

We can get so focused on the negative and become blind to the positive in our relationships, in our daily activity, and in our reading of the scripture.  If I only focus on the negative I miss the spiritual message that is hidden in the passage. 

The Old Testament reveals the power and lust for life that is still strong in our world today.  We look for hero's desperate to find the deeper meaning to our existence.  Our young people are looking for heroes in their music and in their video games and in their sports and in movie stars.  As we read our scriptures we find broken people shattered by life looking for strong leadership and longing for God.

As I have searched and read I have found myself discarding fundamental beliefs and worn out creeds and I am finding new hope in what has become for me the sense of the presence of the sacred.  Questions have shaken the very foundations of my faith and threaten to destroy the soul that longs to find beauty and goodness in the ruble of life; but I am finding questions do not need to be answered and like a child that picks up a sea shell and hears the roar of the waves I may not understand but I can enjoy the sound.


Today in many parts of the world people are living in horrible circumstances some of their own making but many because of the corruption and evil in the world and others finding their homes and livelihoods washed away in floods; like the one that the severe rain has caused in Australia.  Bad things happen to the good and the brave, to the very young and to the old;  and it is easy to feel crushed in spirit.

In life there will be moments of joy and happiness but also pain and sorrow.

As I look to the mountains so far in the distance I feel a sense of wonder and a sense of gratitude that calms my anxiety and strengthens my desire to in some way touch the lives of those I love with God's mysterious love.  I am very happy for Carol and Panteli today their special day when they share their love for each other with us all!