MASTER The Limn

That Incurable Condition

There is a little freedom in looking at a problem and reacting against it, particularly when dealing with people. Instead of becoming reactive and worrying about all things going awry, which is the exact issue I so often find myself working against, I find I must simply let go. Do what is possible in the moment and let the little pieces fall where they may.

A dear friend and wise mentor once said to my father “There will be tragedies”. The key is more in how one goes about their interpretation of life. This wise man sees what some may call dysfunction, simply accepts it where it is, and moves forward. It isn’t dysfunction to him but merely that Incurable Condition which we are all subject to. This Incurable Condition is the product of our fallen realm and, contrary to “functional” belief, sanctification too is subject to operate in this realm. No matter how far sanctification advances in someones life it will always be tied to the fallen realm. To me it seems far more useful to put off that fanciful idea of perfection which says life ought to be perfect and that we can live our lives perfectly, or that we are to act as if life were perfect. It is useful to recast dysfunction in our minds as the inevitable and Incurable Condition it is and then press into Christ so that we may live righteously. And we may work toward this righteousness, for scripture does say to be perfect as our Father is perfect, but we must get the ridiculous idea out of our heads that perfection itself is attainable in this life. Even with the Holy Spirit guiding us we have to recognize we won’t always follow His call or guidance. We may accept what perfection comes from this relationship, and at times may manifest pieces of the perfection of Christ, but even then it is merely a manifestation of the Real thing and we will remain but broken cisterns. Christ lends us only Himself to hold onto - life will be what it will be. The Incurable Condition is a fact of existence and we are implicated by existing. Knowing this lends us the freedom to mend and makes room for the Real stuff from which our sanctification flows.

Permalink

Starving for the Lovely

I am starving for the lovely.
Do you feel that ache as well?
Do you find yourself hungering for the beautiful:
A real word, crafted with air, and not a phone;
The burning of your body carrying you across concrete, dirt, and gravel paths;
The thrill of feeling small amidst a galaxy,
Running tall grass through your fingers,
Or sitting, arms entwined, to remind yourself that you’re not alone?

I hunger for these things.
I am starving for the lovely, and am searching for it in the day.

And so, at times I have to leave.
I have to leave because I craving something beautiful.
Something holy.
Something I cannot control.
Something wild, deep, and full of light.

Permalink

Faithful

There is not much a better way to say it, but this, the bit by Oswald Chambers below that is, has been mulling around in my spirit for the past day or so. It astounds me how interested our Creator is. It astounds me how He speaks so often to us but we are too insert excuse here to listen. The simple fact of the matter is that He is the faithful one, not us. To think anything else about it is the fruit of a deceived mind. He calls us beloved and it should be enough. 

We must even have faith that He is speaking in what we may call “silence”, or “the valley” or some call it “the dry places”. How can we so easily forget the multifarious nature of the Lord’s voice? It is so varied yet constant. The sheep always know the voice of their shepherd. If we do not hear the voice of the shepherd could it be that we are not acting like sheep?

Oswald Chambers puts it all very clearly:

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him … —Psalm 25:14

What is the sign of a friend? Is it that he tells you his secret sorrows? No, it is that he tells you his secret joys. Many people will confide their secret sorrows to you, but the final mark of intimacy is when they share their secret joys with you. Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys? Or are we continually telling God our secrets, leaving Him no time to talk to us? At the beginning of our Christian life we are full of requests to God. But then we find that God wants to get us into an intimate relationship with Himself— to get us in touch with His purposes. Are we so intimately united to Jesus Christ’s idea of prayer— “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10)— that we catch the secrets of God? What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us— He knows every detail of each of our individual lives.

“Him shall He teach in the way He chooses” (Psalm 25:12). At first, we want the awareness of being guided by God. But then as we grow spiritually, we live so fully aware of God that we do not even need to ask what His will is, because the thought of choosing another way will never occur to us. If we are saved and sanctified, God guides us by our everyday choices. And if we are about to choose what He does not want, He will give us a sense of doubt or restraint, which we must heed. Whenever there is doubt, stop at once. Never try to reason it out, saying, “I wonder why I shouldn’t do this?” God instructs us in what we choose; that is, He actually guides our common sense. And when we yield to His teachings and guidance, we no longer hinder His Spirit by continually asking, “Now, Lord, what is Your will?”

Talking with Him is the simplest thing in the world, and it would be just like God to make the most important thing the simplest to execute so that even the lowest and most needy of us may be able to look up and speak God. The invitation is open and the conversation has already been started. He loves, oh, how He loves.

Permalink

Cyrnus: A liberal arts poem

“From sound men you will learn sound lessons.” Theognis

There is nothing outside of the text. I read it once on Pinterest.

And I immediately thought of Cyrnus, covered in advice about traveling,

and advice about searching the depths of his mind, and advice about morality.

These things don’t always seem compatible, but I am yet young.

You must be prepared to go a long way, Cyrnus, to find truth.

And its best to read for it walking in the middle of the road.

But youth isn’t prone to walking in the middle of anything, and the text doesn’t help.

We straddle the edges, listening first to the sound man who says Peace,

then turning to the sound man who says Patriotism, worrying about punctuation,

wondering about intent. What if the text was sarcastic? How do we know?

Which was Theognis?

At some point, Cyrnus will toss aside the writings of his sound mentor.

At some point he will block the texts, turn his head, and run.

And this is where I empathize, this point of easy failure.

He will embody human insolence, wincing from the test.

The student becomes love’s labour lost, embracing subtleties that,

when spoken, refute all logic. I do it all the time.

Its a simple matter to believe that basest counterfeit, turn our faces,

and test the disposure of our enemies.

And still Theognis says Go a long way within yourself,

and take great pains. Read thoroughly in your own mind.

You may yet find a good man.

But probably not. After all,

Cyrnus and I find life difficult, texting in the middle of the road.

Permalink

I’m not going to lie. I’m very cynical. After reading about what you guys are doing to fight it… It made me feel like a piece of crap. I don’t even know what the problem is. It’s so deeply rooted in me from the hurt and having to defend myself from over the years. This cynicism, this gloomy out look, this sickness, reminds me of the symbiote Venom from Spider-Man. It’s so deeply rooted inside of me, I try and fight it but it always just takes me over. It’s not even an attitude or outlook…. It’s become a part of who I am. I can’t imagine myself being as naive, trusting, and energetic the way I was when I was younger, before realism round house kicked me in the face. Whenever I see someone like I used to be, I shake my head at them, waiting for that low moment in life that finally breaks them. But it’s strange, whenever someone is being cynical around me I always play the positive card. It’s like… I know where they are right now, and now how it feels, and I try and help them through it. Whenever anyone talks about quitting I always give them examples from my life I regret because I second guessed my self, I didn’t believe in myself, and I thought I could never live that way or achieve that goal because life just sucks. I quit. And when I see someone in that low point, I do everything I can to help. Strange, no? It’s almost like we need “Cynicals anonymous”.

Permalink

It is easy to become cynical when our days seem so similar; wake up, eat, go to classes, do work, eat, and sleep again. We eat the same food, go to the same places, see the same people. It seems like when our lives become mundane, we lose wonder, awe, innocence, and a sense of beauty in the world. But all we have to do is open our eyes. Beauty, life, intricate designs, and newness is all around us. Have you ever stopped to really look at tree bark? It is incredible. Or dandelions? Simple weeds that are immensely intricate. The people that you see daily. They are works of art that are never the same. All of these things are growing, changing, evolving, and shouting God’s goodness and creativity. Cynicism cannot thrive when your eyes are open to all that is happening around you. 

It is easy to become cynical when our days seem so similar; wake up, eat, go to classes, do work, eat, and sleep again. We eat the same food, go to the same places, see the same people. It seems like when our lives become mundane, we lose wonder, awe, innocence, and a sense of beauty in the world. But all we have to do is open our eyes. Beauty, life, intricate designs, and newness is all around us. Have you ever stopped to really look at tree bark? It is incredible. Or dandelions? Simple weeds that are immensely intricate. The people that you see daily. They are works of art that are never the same. All of these things are growing, changing, evolving, and shouting God’s goodness and creativity. Cynicism cannot thrive when your eyes are open to all that is happening around you. 

Permalink

How to be in a “Root Group” and not think you are anything special.

By Mark Persson

At large state universities, who you know can be beneficial. But in the small community at Wheaton College, associations are of the upmost importance. We prematurely equate who we know with who we are. So, being in a group with Jerry Root almost makes me feel like I am Jerry Root himself. I even found myself slapping other guys on the chest and departing with the word, “blessings”—a true Jerry clone. I figured if everyone loved him, I could get everyone to love me, but that only gets you so far. To really be like Jerry, you can’t follow Jerry, you’ve got to follow Jesus. But when it comes to the Root group, I have to remind myself to keep following these steps:

Step 1: Don’t walk up to Jerry while he is in the middle of a conversation with someone else just to get a slap on the chest—the five-finger brand of association. 

Step 2: “Be willing to associate with people of low position” (Romans 12:16). Jerry (or any other popular figure on campus) does not need one more person to talk to, but I know there are dozens of students who could use a real friend.

Step 3: Imitate Jerry; despise recognition. I spent a weekend with Jerry and two other professors in Boston. Throughout the trip, the other professors continually lauded Jerry for his ability to relate to people and boldly share the gospel. But Jerry cringed after each praise. Then, he would announce, “I’m just a screwed up guy.” That same weekend, he began speaking with a woman about C.S. Lewis. Yet, he never mentioned that he was one of the top Lewis scholars and had written several books about him. “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Step 4: Rest assured in the affirmation that comes from God. When we were sinners and enemies of God, he died for us (Romans 5:8). What greater affirmation could be given to us?

Mark Persson is a 2nd year student of the Root Group and has to remind himself daily that he is not Jerry or anyone else for that matter.

Permalink

How to Listen

By Rebecca Queen

It takes eyes to See the person as Christ sees them and ears to Hear the person for all the things unsaid to truly listen to someone.  Stop trying to get the food out of your teeth while someone talks about their life.  Ask clarifying questions that really help you understand what they are saying.  Look them in the eyes as they talk.  Don’t ask what you think they want you to ask them.  That is lazy listening, and empathetic listening takes work!

Read More

Permalink