Look at this photo of Chris' hand, it looks warped and strange , like an animated hand, and no one would believe that we did not photo shop this image. This tells a story, we see it one way, the camera sees it another, and reality may even tell a different story. But the warped images that come through also tell a story, the movement of this photo, the image that can't be understood, unless explained, and the unexplainable that remains as shown.
Do our eyes deceive us? Are we oblivious to a universe in front of our eyes, invisible to the naked human eye, but clearly there with the lens of a camera or another more sensitive lens the one we rarely rely on, our inner insight.
Do we look up in the sky, in the daytime and see stars, no because they are not visable -- that does not mean they are not there. When was the last time you saw your back, but you know its there. You cant see it, but can feel it-- you know its there. You see it in the reflection in your mirror, and you forget about looking at it. Its just not important. If you have back pain, you cant see it, but its there, and you know its there, and your back becomes very important, and we have technology, and all sorts of amazing machines to see inside our bodies now, but we cannot see pain.
Just like pain we cannot see, love, that feeling in our hearts, that we know is there but we cant see it. That has got to be intelligent design, wow. Think about it, if we knew every time someone hated or loved us, just by looking at them -- what a crazy world this would be! People would be fighting mad all the time, over how someone just looked at you! Wow, aren't you glad we cant see other peoples emotions, and thoughts. But that some how, replaces the reality that they do exist, and how can we deny that they have a place and space in our reality. Once I was so sure I saw someone move through time and space unlike anything on our plane of reality, and it was unmistakable-fear, not like falling, or making a mistake, but like biting your cheek when eating, like hitting your head on something that you did not see, like you have just been cut-but your not going to die. Your blood runs fast and hot, and your eyes widen, you search for the hand rails, and there are none. Your mind reaches for the exit door, and nothing is there , I was forced to watch and wait until the forces that be, were done with me, its not like a fantasy dream, its a moment when time actually stops.
I am aware of the fact that your view is different than my view, and if I just voice my opinion about the days events we might be agreeing to disagree, and walk away wishing we never brought up--the "daily topics". Let us not find the differences, let us remind ourselves that no matter what we do agree upon, we are still different people, you will go your way, I will go mine. It is up to us alone to be strong in our beliefs, and not untie our knots when it comes to our promises to ourselves and our true faith. What ever your concept of God may be, be at peace with God, aware only that it all will unfold and make sense someday, if not now. We are but minute infinitesimal specs in this universe, and yet as small as we are, we have our own brains, and we are meant to use them, and not forge ideas in stone to be buried and forgotten , and walked over like graves of our past.
Even Buried history teaches us many things, I have been saying to the worried-- over fretting, right republicans, " we still have Catholics.." and that should make you think, they can outlaw your faith, they can make you a religious---criminal, and even tear down your greatest paintings, and burn your buildings, kill your best people---( that's horrible!! ) and cover up your stories, and hide your books, but it wont change anything even in 500 years! We still have a great Jewish society ,and freedom of religion, no matter may come, it does not change the hearts of the faithful.
Why do we forget these proven images of strength? Do we retreat into fear and start the torch of hatred? Why warp reality, to allow the anger to take over, the moment the record skips we change it, so change it! If you want to change the world its easy-- just change your mind, change the record! Change your environment-- go for it! Mysteries of life-still exist to be discovered, don't so afraid to change, ***LIFE***its really going to change with or without us!
My life is full of unexplainable images, and no matter what I do to describe them, or write them, or illustrate them, nothing can change the facts, no explanations exist for me. Mystery is a wonderful feeling, it's almost like- the moment you realize your getting onto a roller coaster, and you know that it's fun, and fast, but you are never quite sure what is around that corner until you get there. The more we try to anticipate it, the more we ache inside, and it makes more sense to let the ride, fulfill our senses in the mysterious ways it does. It is different every time we experience it. Even if we know every curve, we can find a new corner of mystery to explore, and put up your hands, let life take you where it goes-- its okay-- you are in HIS hands. What is even more amazing is how we take gravity for grandid, but that is another day.
One story that fits here, is the one that is all about letting go of the illusion of control. Pennies from heaven was my last entry, and I promised to do a part 2. but I still can not bring myself to tell the whole story of my experience. Some things are just private and meant to be saved, for me, and I can re tell them better with similar examples. I guess that is why, we search for similar examples of our lives, pennies from heaven, and angels, and miracles, we want to believe that other people have seen this too. We really want to believe that it must be true. Carl Sagan, says in his Cosmos series, I really want to believe that there is a God, or that there are Aliens in space. He also says, he cant find any proof, and that he was searching for it, and hoping for it, and that space would be a great waste without it. Carl Sagan, manages to speak clearly about his faith to human species to remain curious, and open minded, or we would all suffer greatly from it. I love the way, he says, you are made of star stuff, and I have more in common with this tree, that any animal, he makes the universe make sense, he takes the mystery of the big picture, and describes it in such wonderful detail that we understand it. And we belong to it again, because we see our story in the similarities of nature and space. Even though we know the obvious differences, we believe this scientist, because we want to believe he is smarter than us. But for someone as decorated and celebrated as he was, he surely had a surpriseing personal life and set of personal beliefs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan
"Sagan was a user of marijuana. Under the pseudonym "Mr. X", he contributed an essay about smoking cannabis to the 1971 book Marihuana Reconsidered[37][38] The essay explained that marijuana use had helped to inspire some of Sagan's works and enhance sensual and intellectual experiences. After Sagan's death, Grinspoon disclosed this to Sagan's biographer, Keay Davidson. The publishing of the biography, Carl Sagan: A Life, in 1999, brought media to this aspect of Sagan's life."
The bigger picture is never easy to see, its there all the time, but we seem to live in the images we create and we use tunnel vision to stay in our own little world. Like the mediocre political climate, that demands the ultimate sacrifice of faith, and limits our reach by cutting of the hand the gestures for holding.
My reasons for bringing up this warped reality is the current political climate, and the effects it is having on our city, our state and our frame of mind. I want to be clear and not grandstand at all, this is not my soapbox, or my advertisement, I simply want to try to explain the images I see. The same people that called us unpatriotic, and sold us a war on Iraq, are the same people that are now, slicing and dicing our country in so many pieces its like we are their sushi to be eaten alive. I understand now what they mean by, if no one does anything evil will prevail, you can tell evil by how hard it persists in making life difficult for others to be happy. In as much as I have said, we still have Catholics, we still have telescopes as well. Dont be blind, to what virtues hold onto reality, or dead to what joys remain in our faith.
1-Corinthian 13
