Why In the World Would Do I Do This?
Wednesday Inspiration
Back in the 1990s I lived with two friends in a trailer with the living room couch as my bed. The three of us became quite close. We spent many nights talking about deep and personal topics.
Of course, one of those hot topics for me was spirituality. Keep in mind this was just before I entered into my short-lived fundamentalist phase, so I was far more open to different perspectives into the Divine Depths.
One roommate was from Brazil. An amazing man. He was a few years older than me (in fact, I was there when he turned 30). I really valued his input. He seemed so mature, and it was like he had it all together. And he also had a lot to say about spirituality. Yes, a kindred “spiritual but not religious” kind of guy!
Anyway, that time in the trailer for me was a very difficult and dark time. I struggled financially, emotionally, and relationally. Life was incredibly hard, and it seemed like there was just no escape from the pain. Yet, I felt very blessed to have my friends in my life.
My big break came in the form of a well-paying job. It appeared unexpectedly, right out of the blue. A friend of mine up north knew I was looking for work and he knew of a place that I would fit right in. So he made the introduction. The new job required me to move, which did not please me. But, overall it turned out to be one of the best turning points of my life.
After I moved, I realized I needed a computer to do some work in my apartment. So I contacted my ex-roomie Brazillian friend who was a whiz at putting such things together. He was glad to help me out. And the big bonus was I had a great excuse to go see him again.
While I was at his place picking up my shiny new machine, we had fun reminiscing about our times together.
And then he said to me, “I remember seeing you on the couch all those nights sitting there, waiting for God to deliver you. And He did.”
I guess I hadn't really thought about it like that. But I think he was right. There was, for me, a sense of Divine Movement in the midst of it.
Zipping forward to the present, I now talk about God as the “God of Liberation” a lot. This God is the one who sets the captives free. This is the God of Jubilee who cancels debts. This is the God of deep healing who frees us from the darkness within and makes us whole.
Indeed, God is a God of Hope.
And, when I look around me at the mess our world is in, it seems to me that this is the very God that we need today.
I need hope. You need hope. We all need hope.
That’s why I do what I do: Proclaim hope.
And, I encourage you to proclaim hope along with me.
Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
PS: If you found this article valuable, please hit the "like" button. The more likes I have, the more likely the post is to be found on Substack by others.
PPS: I would love to hear feedback on what you like about my newsletter and what I could do to make it better. To send me your thoughts, just reply to the email.
Support the Cause
My mission is to promote the progressive Christian voice in the spiritual/theological marketplace. I hope that by doing so I will help make the world a more loving place one newsletter at a time.
If you are not already a paying subscriber, I encourage you to consider it. It takes many (many) hours each week to create all the content for this project, and by becoming a paid subscriber you support the greater mission through me.
Will you consider becoming a financial supporter of the mission for only $6 per month? If so, I would greatly appreciate it.