It depends on what God you’re talking about

“Was Jesus God?” by Mark Strom

N.T. Wright responded, “Well, it depends on what God you’re talking about.”

Because most people when they talk about God talk of some capricious, removed, abstract being somewhere who throws rocks, who doesn’t get connected or involved.

“If that is God, then ‘No’ Jesus was not God.” But this is the wonder of the Gospel, it turns the question around: What kind of God could become Jesus?

Don’t start with God in the abstract, but with Jesus in the concrete.

What kind of God could actually be Jesus?

This God could put on eyebrows and kneecaps, tear ducts and saliva glands. This God could be born under the tyrants Augustus and Herod. This God could accept the smells of shepherds and the extravagancies of political emissaries. This God could grow up under foreign domination, and among terrorists and outcasts. This God could start life off a hunted vulnerable child born into scandal. This God could sit in the street playing marbles. This God could wear with pride the calloused splintered hands of an honest workman building the houses and fixing the furniture of half casts, outcasts, and bigots. This God could ask his cousin to baptize him along with the rest of the crowd.

This God could make the best vintage Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon even when the guests were too drunk to know the difference. This God could befriend a bloke in a tree with “small man’s syndrome.” This God could enjoy a woman of questionable character washing his feet giving her his full and undivided attention and ignoring the eye rolling of lawyers and theologians. This God could spend a whole night making a whip to crack over the backs of con-artists who rip off the poor. This God could wrap the greatest truths in the simplest stories and put a sting in the tail of every yarn. This God could let himself hang on a tree, nails tearing at his sinews, blood, faeces, and urine running down his legs. This God could invite women to be the first to know that he was back. This God could delay his own glorious homecoming long enough for a bite of breakfast on the beach… with an old friend to let him know that there were no hard feelings and to pass along his mantle. This God could take his own story and give it the most surprising ending.

This God, this God is worth knowing. This God could reach into the crevasses of my soul to bring to life the longings I smother so pathetically and recklessly with shame and excuses. This God could raise me up to life with Him. This God could give me every blessing that he could give himself. This God could draw me out of my petty self-interest without a hint of a tut-tut, a frown, or a patronizing smile. This God could me more infuriating and fascinating and gobsmaking than any God that I could ever make up. This God could love my obsessiveness and overlook my forgetfulness. This God could laugh and cry with me and come play with me. This God could make me His glory. This God could love me. This God could trust me. This God could never be safe, but always be good. This God is worth knowing. This God I want to know. This God I know in the face and the spirit of Jesus.

Justice and Human Value

Justice. I refuse to support anything that defies the innate value of each human individual. I will fight for the broken, the poor, the outcasted. I will fight for those that are mistreated, but I will also fight for those that are misunderstood. We did not work or earn for the breath of life, rather our life is a gift from God. We can waste it, or we can search for the restoration of humanity.

Freedom. Since I have attained freedom, I refuse to live selfishly. I refuse to live for the material things which can be burned up in one minute. I live for the eternal. I want to live my life with unconditional love. I will love those that hate me. I will love those that are unable to love, devoid of life. I will love until my heart bursts and I return home.

I’m always writing in my head

I just realized that I’m always writing in my head. When people say something or when I see something and think of something, or read something, I am always ALWAYS writing poetry. It’s inevitable, it makes me high. It’s addicting, this whole writing deal.

So here goes again:

I’m lost, wondering where the sky flew. I like driving in the rain, I like sleeping in the rain, it gives me memories of embrace.

Sally ran a thousand miles, she saw a wall with 6 fingers, beckoning towards the unknown.

Bob said, “life’s a bitch, then you die”.

Harry said, “If life was fair, then I’d have hair”.

Sally replied, “I found the answer and I know it. I’m forever loved”.

She sang and sang and sang. Even if others told her no, told her off, stepped on her. She kept running towards the goal.

Sleep in peace, live in peace, Jesus says Sally you’re right, Bob and Harry, follow or get caught in shit. Self- pity is only downhill.

I’m only strong when I’m weak, I’m face to face with pain, that’s when I feel most human.

Don’t ever want to be a robot.

Then I won’t be able to smell the roses along this trip. Robots don’t smell do they?

Sally drew and drew. (not drawn by me, this girl drew this in Germany)

Like A tree, standing still. Or so they think.

As I drive, thoughts invade my mind, like aliens taking over planet earth.

It’s all a blur, but to my contacted eyes, like solution wiping all dirt.

I gotta remember this, lest I forget all the poetry I am writing in my head.

I am not a vegabond. I am not alone. Yet, thoughts that others may never understand. Or so I think.

These days….I am like a tree.

My friends talk at me, talk to me, I listen with intensity. I am soaking every word, listening listening with compassion. They can talk for hours, minutes, they swish by without notice. I listen and sit. I am bright-eyed and thinking. These days, I feel senseless and neutral. I ask engaging questions.

I am like a tree, they like cars.

As I drive in the dark, I gather that I am like a tree. The cars are driving past me, 50 miles an hour, 60, speeding at times. I look. I watch. I listen to the swooshing, the too amped up cars, the flashy ones, the beat up, they are all going somewhere. But I, I stand and grow each day. The sun is soaking into my every branch. Even though the world cannot see, this heart is expanding at 1,000 miles per hour. They are only going 60. If only they would sit still and listen too.

Talk and talk and talk. They keep talking, with no purpose, no resolution, no insight, no thought. They are saying nothing at all. And they don’t even know it. And so I sit with sympathy.

Sometimes I wonder how planet nature can preach, they are like the church because God created nature.

I see God and his character. He wants me to sit and wait, he wants me to listen, just like grass and trees.

Another day, I give shelter and resting places for birds. Though they take craps on my branches, I don’t take it personally. For I know I am a tree, not a garbage dump. I know who I am, so those things, don’t make any difference to me. Like I said, hurting people hurt people. I know, I know. So not a worry.

It’s true that everyone wants to be heard. When I was young, I was loud and hyper. I wanted to be center of attention all the time. Now that I know my true worth, I want to give someone else the center. So as they talk on, I may be bored, but I keep with purpose. Their faces and voices echo in my ears. I have nothing to prove.  I am Rebekka, just like a tree stands and grows each day. Giving shelter for those that need a place to rest. I got the sun and it’s all good.

The Midwest

A look at Midwest:

Having missed my original 8 am flight, I had to wait for another flight to NY, which then connected me to St. Louis. This is the empty train at 10:30 pm.

The midwest Arch from afar. Walking 10 blocks, passing numerous numbers of unleased and empty hollow buildings, in LA empty buildings would not stand a chance. Missing my rice and boba reminded me how blessed I am to live in LA, no offense to anyone. Haha. LA seriously is the best place to live in America- I think.

Too lazy to flip this photo.

School starts next Wednesday, i looked at the calendar and mumbled…what the heck I have school on my bday? Just one class though, so it’s not too bad. STILL!! I’ve always made a point of picking classes so that I am classfree on my bday. This time I won’t have Clare’s house to party at- sob.

Kewpie Brings Cheer To All People!

I love the picture of the baby holding the baby, he is one adorable kiddo!

“Don’t let the wise brag of their wisdom.
Don’t let heroes brag of their exploits.
Don’t let the rich brag of their riches.
If you brag, brag of this and this only:
That you understand and know me.
I’m God, and I act in loyal love.
I do what’s right and set things right and fair,
and delight in those who do the same things.
These are my trademarks.” – Jeremiah 9:23-24

My new year’s resolution is to act in faith in every circumstance and every situation. I am going to stop talking and start walking the walk. Looking into volunteering more…maybe in urban ministries and inner city kids? May the spirit fill you causing you to produce good fruit.