Writing and Faith

I wrote this for our church's Lenten Devotional:

Stretching

You stand very still, the knife just breaking the skin of your throat. “You heard the question. Answer me. Who do you say that Jesus is? Your life depends on what answer you give." I was 14 years old, standing at a bus stop in Tacoma when a wild man (no knife!) backed me up against a brick wall and ranted that question at me. Scary. My bus came, and I got away from him. I don’t think Jesus asks this question with a knife to your throat, or your back against a brick wall. Maybe with the threat gone I (or you) can find an honest answer. Today or tomorrow, it may be your time to answer the question again. Don’t worry if the answer is different from the time before. We must grow, and grow, and grow and each new answer expresses our growth. I didn't do the art -- someone added that. It is an OK piece, but not perfect.  Grabbing the audience I used the "Knife" bit, and the guy who accosted me when I was 14 years old could have had a knife -- he was that scary -- but he did not.  That added confusion. The intensity, however, might come through.  This is a question most Christians don't ponder deeply.  They are content with whatever their traditional answer has been and . . . well, that's all. I suspect that is true for the questions each person's faith asks them.  Even radical Muslims who are bombing innocent civilians don't ponder their faith questions  -- they merely act out their insecurity and angst without adequate thought.  Hindu fundamentalists who form mobs to burn worship centers of people with whom the disagree are mostly as inattentive to the questions Hinduism asks as anyone else in their faith.  It's all tradition, habit, comfort, taking the faith journey for granted. And taking faith for granted ultimately fails us, in my opinion.  What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know.

"Lord, Use My Lips . . . "

The title phrase is usually prayed to ask, “. . . use my lips to speak for you.”

 I heard it Sunday at the end of worship, and got to wondering:  what if one prayed, “Lord, use my lips to say nothing rather than provoke or hurt others.”  Sometimes silence is better that what I speak.  

What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know.  

"Lord, use my lips. . ."

The title phrase is usually prayed to ask, “. . . use my lips to speak for you.” I heard it today at the end of worship, and got to wondering:  what if one prayed, “Lord, use my lips to say nothing rather than provoke or hurt others.”

What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know.