In what some would call a providential occurrence, it so happens that today, the day on which I had planned this very post, is also Blog Action Day! It is so encouraging to see people using their blogs to speak up about important issues and to make a difference in the world because of this internet-community.

I have a friend from college who works with her husband in the Philippines. They have both done some teaching there (he still does, she is currently busy taking care of their new baby) and Jessica works with many local women doing a variety of activities, both religious and practical in nature.  Jessica recently contacted me and some other people regarding a group of twelve different women who she sees regularly and for whom she would like to grant some “wishes” as a way of showing them that people around the world care for their well-being.

I have never used this blog to ask for money before. And I don’t intend to do it frequently.  But this time I had to ask.  These dreams demand to be acknowledged and that’s what I hope to do by sharing some of them here:

“…my third wish is water: I would like water [installed in my home] because I have no money to buy water to my neighborhood. 1 peso for each bucket. but it is heavy but I cannot afford to install water” [cost to make this dream come true: $80]

“my third wish is for Restroom…everytime I feel to go to rest room I  have to go to my sister-in-law’s house, but her house is far from my house. I cannot make a temporary [restroom] by my home because we live by the river and the ground erodes so it is not save. For the [restroom] I need a hollow block and 6 pieces of cement; 300 pieces hollow block; 10 pieces round bar; 1 toilet bowl; 2 cubics sand and gravel mix; 3 pieces for wall” [cost to make this dream come true: $140]

“…[I wish] for a foam mattress to sleep on.” [cost to make this dream come true: $30]

“A bicycle. My wish is for my son to go to school at high school because sometimes he is absent because we don’t have money to pay the fare for him to get to school…” [cost to make this dream come true: $50]

“A gas range… I wish because I always cook with firewood three times a day.” [cost to make this dream come true: $80]

“Here is my wish: The roof of our home.” [cost to make this dream come true: $80]

“My wish is to have a permanent home for my family. A home for my three children together with my husband….We don’t have a permanent house to stay and we don’t have enough money to build a home just because we can’t afford yet to attempt all the materials for needs, and also my husband only working at all to support our daily needs…” [cost to make this dream come true: $1-2000]

“I wish…a floor for my house, because there are holes and sometimes the bamboo breaks when we walk on it.” [cost to make this dream come true: $50]

“I wish for…one sack rice. Even for us 1 kilo is expensive and we have to buy rice every day. It is hard to buy when there is not stable work for my husband.” [cost to make this dream come true: $35]

“My second wish is washing machine because sometimes I feel so tired to wash my clothes but if we have a washing [machine] for my family I don’t have to wash it.” [cost to make this dream come true: $100]

There you have it, people. Their biggest wishes are so simple. Food, clean and accessible water, a roof overhead and walls to shelter them. Almost every one of these twelve women asked for money to make repairs to their homes and/or roofs and some small things that would make their lives easier like furniture or a washing machine or the money to start a small business or raise animals to sell.

It’s not often that you hear the voice of poverty right from the lips of those who live it each and every day. So today, I’m asking you to hear it.  

I know everyone has their own causes and I’m sure you all support your different charities so there is no judgment if you choose not to do this. But for those who might be looking for an opportunity to make a real difference to a real person, to hear their need and say “I can fix this one thing for someone”, here is your chance.

Donations for this project will be made through an organization called Wycliffe Bible Translators. Now, I know not everyone agrees with or believes in religious organizations. But I can personally guarantee that any money you donate will go directly to one of twelve women in order to fulfill their most basic needs and to lift the burden of poverty from their shoulders.  You will get a charitable donation receipt for your donation and you can send a cheque to either the Canadian or American branches of Wycliffe. 

This is not about ideology or theology. This is about real women suffering because of a lack of money.  This is not about who is right and who is wrong. This is about being a citizen in a global community where no one deserves to live without enough food or a proper shelter over their heads.  This is about making a difference in the life of a fellow human being and I am inviting you to participate with me.

If you would like to give some money to one of these very deserving Filippino women please email me at Shannon@livinginthegray.com and I can email you directions on where to send your cheque and what other information needs to be included in order for the donation to get to the right person. The gifts are meant to be given to the women on November 19, so the sooner the cheques are sent in, the better. If you have questions for me, or for Jessica, who will be in charge of getting the money to the women, please don’t hesitate to ask (you can contact me for Jessica’s email or go straight to her blog).

Poverty is real. Today you heard (ok, read) it’s voice. Let’s use this blog thing we do to do more today.

in real life, life and death, making a difference, reach out, spirituality, the good stuff | 3 Comments »

From time to time I read things written by Christians who presume to speak for all of us. Often I ignore it because it’s not worth the effort it takes to object. Or because I’m not sure where, or if, I fit in the larger Christian community, my personal theology having evolved to what it is. Other times I lack the ability to think quickly or adequately explain my ideas and I remain silent.  But the odd time, the thoughts process quickly and the ideas form fast enough for me to get them down. Like this week…

I read a discourse by a person who felt very strongly that the “rights” of Christians are being infringed upon by the removal of public prayer in a variety of forums. Christians are having their “right to pray in public places [taken] away”! Release the hounds!

Having grown up in, and up until recently been completely immersed in, evangelical culture, I can safely say I am in the minority when I ask why are we so hung up on public prayer? I just don’t understand the self-righteous indignation and the victimized howls of “they’re MAKING us STOP PRAYING!”. Why do we cry foul because people ask us to have respect for those of differing opinions? Why do we behave like children, trying to garner the attention of the masses in order to fulfill our constant need for an audience?

If you take the 21st century Bible as some kind of ultimate authority (which I don’t necessarily, but IF YOU DID), then Christianity at large would do well to remember the words of Jesus, when he taught about prayer:

 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matt. 6:5-6, NIV)

There are times and places for public prayer, in religious ceremonies and institutions or at other acceptable venues.  But prayer has always had an intimate and personal aspect which no one has the ability to take away and which has no fundamental need to be public.  You can not restrict the mind of a person. And if you believe prayer to be a communion with the divine, you must also believe that the power of this communion is that it is unstoppable and can be done in complete secrecy, if desired. Prayer is one activity that cannot be controlled or restricted and I find the suggestion that it can be troubling.  

That parading that some people do? The spewing forth of many words for bystanders to hear? That is not necessarily prayer.  And I dare say that the ones who make the loudest outcry about the importance of the public theatrics are the ones who practice the actual discipline of prayer the least. Perhaps they are uncomfortable being alone with the divine, with no words to hide behind.

In my mind, at least, prayer has always been a kind of breathing. As natural as thought, the idea that I am not alone in my head. That my very existence is observed, down to a memory floating on the surface of my mind or when more serious struggles create inner turbulence, I am watched. I don’t know much, if anything, about The Watcher, but I appreciate the company and find it comforting.

Not everyone experiences what they perceive as God this way and perhaps this experience of private and ingrained prayer is why I have often been perplexed by the need of some others to do it as, what I consider to be, a performance. Ultimately prayer can be done anywhere, at any time, and without the permission of anyone.

So why the big fuss?

What difference does it make if kids don’t pray out loud in school or if The Lord’s Prayer is not said in an official ceremony? That is not a restriction of your personal rights, that is a general respect for the citizens of your community.  That is keeping any one religion from imposing it’s worldview on others.  That is keeping people from setting themselves up as outcasts if they refrain from participating in a religion they don’t practise. Anyone who says that they aren’t forcing anyone to participate in public prayer hasn’t had enough experience being the odd one out. What restriction of public prayer does NOT do is keep people from praying.

Honestly, I think many Christians get some kind of a high off being “persecuted” (which, let’s not even get into the discussion of what real persecution is, other than to say that this is SO. NOT. IT.).  Having been thoroughly, 100% evangelical, I know the arguments, I can repeat all the catchphrases, I’ve done it and I believed every word of it. At least at one point in my life.  I’ve always had the sense that many  Christians like to remind themselves about how they are supposed to be “persecuted” and hated by the world, because they hated and persecuted Jesus first. So if “unbelievers” (again, don’t get me started on how much I despise that word) take away their “rights”, then it is just because they are so holy. Not because they are being unfair, disrespectful or insensitive.

Can I just say something? I know a lot of people won’t like it, but luckily “a lot of people” don’t read this blog.  I really think that when Jesus said that the world will hate Christians (he was actually talking to his disciples – again with the let’s not get started on how this interpretation of this passage as applying to all people at all times is ridiculous) he didn’t mean that people will hate you because you’re being an obnoxious, annoying asshole. My impression is that it was a persecution due to nothing more than the nature of Christianity being perceived as a political upheaval, but that’s just my interpretation.  

Also? Christians love to quote the passage in 1 Corinthians that talks about how the message of the cross will appear foolish to those outside the faith and that God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. It’s fine to quote those verses, but again, I really don’t think that the intention was to embrace ignorance. We’re not talking about foolish, as in revelling in irrationality, ignoring science and being dumb as a hammer.  In my (humble) interpretation it has always meant that, while people may not always understand why you do what you do, when they see the good that comes from it, the care you display for your friends, your community, your world, they can do nothing but shake their head and throw up their hands and say “I’m glad your faith motivates you to be who you are!  I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Bottom line? Everyone has rights. That’s not up for debate.  But let’s not start a pissing contest about whose rights are being trampled on.  Because let’s be serious, if we open the history books, Christianity pretty much comes out a winner in the “rights” category, often at the expense of other ideologies.  Also, to argue that we have the right to do what other religions in North America don’t – that is, to parade our religion around in public as a fat and fancy sacrificial lamb of more importance than all the other lambs out there – is the ultimate in arrogance.

Maybe its time that North American Christian rights took a back seat for a century or two. Yes, you heard me. Maybe it’s time to take a step back and attempt to actually live the humility described in the biblical Jesus. To let others be first, even if they have a different worldview. We might actually learn something. If we are afraid to live Jesus-like humility that Christians hold up as the highest ideal, if we are afraid to let ourselves fade into the background and are threatened by other ideologies, then maybe that says more about us than an elaborate public prayer before a football game ever could.

spirituality, tell me how you really feel | 5 Comments »

Just a note, it is TOTALLY UNETHICAL to advertise a rental property as having utilities included in the rent and then putting a coin-operated washer and dryer in the basement.  Particularly if you are renting to a naive couple from Saskatchewan who has no opportunity to view said washer and dryer before signing a twelve month lease.  And even more so if it will cost a freaking two dollars and twenty-five cents per LOAD!  I am bitter and angry. Yes I am.  Use of the water and power, including that which is required to operate the washer and dryer would fall under the category of UTILITIES.  Also, advertising air conditioning is useless if you are going to put a lockbox on the thermostat so as to prevent your tenants from actually ACCESSING the damn air conditioning.  Damn it. I hate Ontario and I’m not even there yet.  I’m in a really bad mood right now.  Homesickness is starting to kick in.

Just so this post isn’t a complete bore… here’s a little something…You’ve probably seen this before but I was amused: Top Ten Reasons Why Men Should Not Be Ordained.

links, Ontario, renting, spirituality | 2 Comments »

Why do you believe what you believe about God (or lack thereof)?  This post from Stupid Church People is very interesting. It points out the real reason people believe in God is often just that they want to believe.  I don’t think he’s necessarily saying that this is bad but simply that people shouldn’t pretend to have more “sophisticated” reasons for believing in God (see the final paragraph about believing in Santa Clause).  I find it interesting because the author of this post is a Christian and that he is actually addressing this issue within Christianity when most Christians ignore it.

spirituality | No Comments »

This quote is from Rob Bell’s most recent book called Sex God.  I am not currently reading it but a friend is reading it and writing about it on his blog.  I find this little snippet strikes right to the heart of many issues that we deal with as humans, be it sex, eating, alcohol, drugs, money and so many other things.  Denial vs. Indulgence.  Why do we find it so hard to live in between the two extremes?

“In reaction to denial, people often head to the other end of the spectrum, which is indulgence. The pendulum swings. But we were created to live in the tension. And when you lose the tension, you lose something central to what it means to be human.”

quotes, spirituality | 1 Comment »

Here’s a wee quote from a blog I read that’s been kicking around in my head today:

Witnessing is what I was taught to do – to evangelize and tell people about Jesus. Witnessing assumes a fundamental chasm between yourself (as the one with all the knowledge and insight) and them (who need converting.)

The author goes on to distinguish between “witness” and “with-ness”, the latter being the simple act of being with people and being connected to each other. We should not allowing the narrowness of our North American experience to make us think we are better or smarter or holier than those who are poor or neglected in this world.  Withness is about simple caring and compassion. Not about me imparting my “vast wisdom and knowledge of spiritual things” to someone who I believe knows nothing of spiritual things.

We are mistaken if we think that Christians are the only spiritual people in the world. Or that there is no truth in the spirituality of other people in the world.  Truth is everywhere. And wherever truth is, we can all claim it. This is a little nugget I picked up from Velvet Elvis.  I have a post coming on that yet. 

books, quotes, spirituality | 2 Comments »

Yeah, you read that right.  I have never considered this possibility before until I read this post on RLP.  He links to this article by Tony Campolo (who is way more “left wing” than I thought he would be) about the same thing and this fabulous short film called Credo.  It is very interesting and just a few minutes long, from the point of view of God. It’s weird to imagine this bald guy with thick glasses singing operatic/hebrew type music as God.  But give it a try.

If you don’t read the whole RLP post then this quote sums it up quite well:

I loved it. It’s lovely, precious, and endearing. And it’s certain to spark some pretty intense conversations. As you watch it, remember this: It is a work of art, not a theological treatise. Don’t pick the theology apart. Also, you should remember that in the Jewish scriptures (Old Testament) God repents several times. In Genesis God repents and is sorry that he created humankind. In First Samuel God repented that he made Saul king. And, most stunningly, in Exodus God is angry and about to destroy the children of Israel. Moses intervenes and demands that he repent of this anger.

“Why are you angry with Your people, which you brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand? . . .Turn from your fierce wrath and repent of this evil against your people…And the Lord repented of the evil which He said He would do unto his people.” (32:11-14)

This notion of God experiencing regret is only a problem if you are into the whole omniscient and omnipotent thing. And since those ideas are NOT IN THE BIBLE, I don’t feel obligated to believe them myself.

Yeah, not in the Bible. The omni concept is more of a Greek, philosophical thing. Surprised aren’t you? Here’s a little article about this by Tony Campolo, who is a huge hero of mine.

Keith Synder explores the idea of God, evil, and repentance in this wonderful little film. And if you can let go of the omni stuff, then you make room for the idea that Larry Picard’s God character might actually be possible. Which is cool because I absolutely adore Larry in this film. I wish he was my friend in real life, but I’d have a hard time not always wanting to pray to him.

Love, love, LOVE!  Good watch! Go see!

good stuff, links, spirituality | 2 Comments »

I have continued with my slow reading of Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell.  I am letting it really simmer and thinking it over. That and I am kind of slow with non-fiction.  Anywho, one of the ideas in this book that has been very liberating for me is this: the Bible resonates with us, not so much because it happened, but because it happens.

Let me share a few of Bell’s words:

Is the greatest truth about Adam and Eve and the fruit that it happened, or that it happens?  This story, one of the first in the Bible, is true for us because it is our story.  We have all taken the fruit. We have all crossed boundaries. We have all made decisions to do things our way and then looked back and said to ourselves, What was I thinking?  The fruit looked so great to Adam and Eve for those brief moments, but the consequences were with them for the rest of their lives.  Their story is our story.  We see ourselves in them. The story is true fr us because it happened and it because it happens.  It is an accurate description of how life is. The reason the stories in the Bible have resonated with so many people over the years is that they have seen themselves in these stories…

…we must understand that the Bible did not drop out of the sky.  It was written by people. People who told stories and passed on oral traditions and sat down and wrote things with a pen and paper. The Bible originated from real people in real places at real times.  It is poems and stories and letters and accounts. It is people interacting with other people in actual space and time. It is God interacting with people in actual space4 and time. We cannot ignore this.  To take statements made in a letter from one person living in a real place at a moment in history writing to another person living in a real place out of their context and apply the m to today without first understanding their original context sucks the life right out of them.  They aren’t isolated statements that float, unattached, out in space. 

They aren’t first and foremost timeless truths.

We may, and usually do, find timeless truths present in the Bible, but it is because they were true in real places for real people at real times….

…The Bible is not pieces of information about God and Jesus and whatever else we take and apply to situations as we would a cookbook or an instruction manual. 

And while I’m at it, let’s make a group decision to drop once and for all the Bible-as-owner’s-manual metaphor. It’s terrible. It really is.

…So when we treat the Bible as if it floats in space, unattached to when and where it actually happened, we are basically saying that God gave us the wrong kind of book.  It is a book of ancient narratives. We cannot make it something it is not.

This is funny because i have experienced the backlash of Christians when you try to introduce real history and context to “Bible Study”.  Treating the Bible as an ancient narrative, rather than first and foremost, an “instruction manual” and a text that “applies to our lives”.  It is nice to hear someone advocating a logical and accurate approach to the Bible.

I have struggled with how to reconcile a “Biblical” God who not only condones genocide, but commands it, as in the Old Testament.  I don’t know if a God who commands his followers to kill children and infants because of their parents’ sin is worthy to be worshiped.  That is a bit scary to say, given my saturation in the evangelical church.  But if I can look at the Bible as a history which was written by a people who interpreted their war (as many have done over the centuries) as not only blessed by, but required by their God, then I feel that it makes sense.  It’s not so much that it happened, but that it happens.  What if the lesson from the Old Testament accounts of attacks on whole peoples is that we should not make the same mistake? That we should not justify our wars by claiming to have orders from an omnipotent being as though we knew what he was thinking?

I’m not sure this is what Rob Bell intended when he wrote this part of the book.  But I also don’t believe that he would be totally offended by my interpretation as he seems to advocate a fairly intense questioning process and a theology that flexes, rather than shatters, with questioning.  But I am finding this interpretation extremely liberating.  It allows me to accept parts of the Bible that have been problems for me in the past because I’m not sure how I feel about a God who says and does some of the things that He does in the Bible. 

I realize that for some of my friends this will be far too extreme for you to embrace and I hope you will have a little patience with me as I explore.  This new outlook is allowing me to embrace the Bible in a time where I have been coming close to having to reject it altogether.  I feel that now I can continue to be inspired by the Bible without feeling that I am a hypocrite because I disagree with parts of it.

spirituality, the journey | 1 Comment »

So there has been a fairly important transition in Avery’s life. You may not see this as a big deal but she has outgrown the “toddler section” when I am buying clothes for her. I now have to look for her clothes in the big girl section.

At Walmart the other day I was picking out a pair of jeans for her and I realized that I could actually see bras from where I was standing.  BRAS PEOPLE!!!  Yes, the training-type undergarments meant for twelve year olds with no cleavage to speak of, but nonetheless, I found myself taken aback.  

She is not a baby anymore, my baby. She is growing up.  No, I’m not going to be one of those mothers that freaks out and won’t tell her kids where babies come from or lose it when I have to eventually BUY a training bra.  But in that moment, it seemed like my little girl was growing up way too quickly. 

Maybe it was because just the night before we had registered her for preschool and although it was not like dropping her off for her first day at preschool, she wasn’t even a little hesitant to run off and play with the other kids who were there.  Wow.  It just goes so quickly.  It really is amazing and scary.

On a different note, thank you to those of you who posted comments or sent me emails in response to my post on my spiritual journey.  To be honest, I feel that very few people really understand where I’m at right now.  Many of you think you do, and although I’m not sure you really do (mostly because I’m not eloquent enough to explain it thoroughly), I truly appreciate your kind words and the lack of judgment. It’s great to feel free to explore without fear of condemnation. 

I have continued to read Velvet Elvis which has convinced me more and more that the second we start to think that we have answers, the minute we stop having deep and frightening and seemingly unanswerable questions about God and the nature of our relationship to him, in that moment our faith has become empty.  The more we search, the more questions there should be.  The bible is not about answers. It is an ancient narrative and it resonates with us because we see ourselves in its pages.  Yes. This book is so hitting me right where I’m at right now.  It is so nice to read something where I want to exclaim “YES!” on just about every page because it expresses something I haven’t been able to put into words but have felt for a long time.

Avery, parenting, spirituality | No Comments »

Can I be smart and believe in God?  Is it reasonable? Is it rational?  Is it logical?  These are some of the questions that have been floating around my head in recent months.  If you are entrenched in the evangelical church I expect your answer to these questions is a resounding “yes”.  We have been taught to justify our faith in God by logic that is often flawed. For example “We know God exists because he SAYS he exists in the Bible.”   This reasoning is simplistic and circular.  It doesn’t prove anything. 

When it comes down to it, I suppose it’s really not the existence of God that I am questioning. I really do believe it is reasonable to believe in a God.  I also believe it is reasonable to attribute certain qualities to God.  What I am questioning is the Christian God, the authority of the Bible in terms of a relevant text to modern life and in the ways that it appears to contradict science.  I am also troubled by the Christian rhetoric and the way it is used to manipulate and evoke emotions, both positive and negative. 

How do you know a God that appears to be unknowable?  Many would say that might be evidence that such a God does not exist.  My husband and I have spent a lot of time discussing the holes in the faith we were both raised with.  I’m finding it troubling because, although I find it easy to hold my theology loosely and allow for changes, I am struggling with how I can continue to fit into a community in which I disagree with so much of what they teach and the way in which it is taught. 

I think there are so many wonderful things about faith communities, including inter-generational relationships, a support net to help in difficult times, friends who are life-long and committed to living the way of Jesus (which, no matter my questions about who Jesus is or was, I am still convinced that the principles he taught are the best way to live).  But I am frequently feeling that I am living a lie.  I know and understand the reasoning behind much of the Christian rhetoric and I suppose I could argue or try to point out the flaws but taking on that task sounds exhausting and a bit malicious at times.  I don’t want to go around arguing with friends and family, trying to prove people wrong. I think we spend far too much time trying be right.  It’s a waste of time. 

The hubby and I have discussed the adage “It all comes down to faith.  You could have all the evidence in the world and still not believe.”  I think we have come to the conclusion that this is not really true.  When ample evidence is provided most people are convinced.  The ones who aren’t convinced are the ones who are determined to interpret the evidence in their own way.  Just look at the way most of the Christian community has disregarded scientific research about evolution.  Yes, this is a very touchy subject.  Why is that?  Perhaps because if evolution were to be proved, beyond a doubt, then Christians would have to reevaluate their belief in a literal Adam and Eve as the first humans and also the doctrine of original sin.  It would throw a huge wrench into the theology of most Christian denominations.  But really, is it wrong to want some evidence?  I don’t know.  I want God to be real to me in a tangible way.  Not the fruity emotions and inspirations that many Christians seem to have so often.  I don’t mean to insult them. I just want more.

Anyway, I am struggling through this and I have a list of books that I want to read as I try to figure out where I stand in terms of my theology.  I am currently reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, which has been kind of a trendy book in Christian circles, which is maybe why I have avoided it this long, but I am finding it so good and it speaks to exactly where I am at.  I am also hoping to read The Probability of God: a Simple Calculation that Proves the Ultimate Truth by Dr. Stephen Unwin (which sounds like it was written by an extreme right-wing fundamentalist, but actually isn’t. Dr. Unwin is an actual scientist and scholar, from what I understand.), Why Christianity Must Change or Die and Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism by Bishop John Spong and Reimagining Christianity:  Reconnect Your Spirit Without Disconnecting Your Mind by Alan Jones.  I have high hopes for these books and it may take me quite a while to work through them because I read non-fiction really slowly. But I am looking forward to working through them and hoping that there is some way to salvage my faith from the crumbling structure of “Christianity”.

Rob Bell has ignited some hope in me by these words:

The Christian faith is mysterious to the core. It is about things and beings that ultimately can’t be put into words.  Language fails.  And if we do definitively put God into words, we have at that very moment made God something God is not….True mystery, the kind of mystery rooted in the infinite nature of God, gives us answers that actually plunge us into even more questions….The very nature of the orthodox Christian faith is that we never come to the end.  It begs for more. More discussion, more inquiry, more debate, more questions.  It’s not so much that the Christian faith has a lot of paradoxes.  It’s that it is a lot of paradoxes.  And we cannot resolve a paradox.  We have to let it be what it is.  Being a Christian then is more about celebrating mystery than conquering it.  (From Velvet Elvis)

Celebrating the mystery.  I am ok with that.  I can live with a paradox.  Many people can’t, and I respect that.  But I’d rather see a paradox and say “I can’t explain that and that’s ok”, than be told that it is something it isn’t and have people use spiritual language to explain it away.  So I’m going to travel this path slowly and not try to resolve everything quickly because I’m uncomfortable with where I’m at.  It’s just more gray.  That’s why I’ve called this blog Living in the Gray, because I don’t ever expect to return to a world of black and white.  And I’m ok with that.

living in the gray, quotes, spirituality | 6 Comments »