Last week when I was out with some work friends, engaging in our normal discussions about God, meditation, and life, I was interested when one mentioned that they couldn't or didn't talk about this "stuff" with anyone else. I was interested because, when I take stock of my closer friends, I'm friends with them mostly because I can talk about that "stuff" with them. If I can't talk about God and spirituality with a person, I'm not likely to become good friends with them. This may sound incredibly pretentious and arrogant of me, and maybe it is, I'm willing to entertain the possibility, but at the same time, if I were silent about those things which are a huge part of who I am, I would feel like I was not bringing my whole self to the relationship.I wonder sometimes how I got to where I am now in my life, when did I become this spiritual, mystic, ministerial seeker? But then I think back to, say, the sunny lunch hours in high school when my friends and I sat on a blanket in the grass and talked about what we thought the meaning of life might be, and my constant involvement in church, and so many other things, and then it seems obvious; I was bound to turn out this way. And so, pretentious or not, a projection of Shannon that didn't include the mystic Shannon would be hollow.
And so I find myself incredibly grateful for the friends I do have, the multiple people with whom I can share and who can share with me the things that are dear to our souls. If it were not for friends who push and prod and pique, I would not have found myself where I am today.
Thank you.
2 comments:
I'm curious whether your work friends feel that it's that the CAN'T talk or just don't. It makes me think about when i use to work in a warehouse in Edmonton for a trade show company. We would end up working with these guys crazy hours, long days (my worst was 99 hours in 1 week...) etc. None of them were 'religious' in any sense and sometimes i would feel like i COULDN'T talk about it there. But i would intentionally do something to at least pique there interest and get some discussions going...Swear at someone for example just to get the typical response of "But your a Christian you can't say S**T" or whatever. and we'd start getting into discussions about why i'm a Christian, how that shapes me, and i found that those questions were all going on with them to...often it just takes something to get beyond those social constructs of what we Can/cannot do or what we feel we should therefore don't...
maybe liberal Christianity is missing something with its own fears and issues with evangelism...but maybe its as simple as sharing who you are, what ever that may be?
I always wonder how one can be an evangelist without being a jerk about it.
It is sad to me that, for the most part, what society generally expects is that people don't share their whole selves or who they really are. People don't expect an honest answer to "Hi, how are you?" They expect "good" or "fine". I think the onus is on folks like us to actually be honest. "Well, I'm feeling pretty lousy today actually..." or "I'm doing spectacular! I just got a raise!"
Perhaps the more truth and honesty that some people share will encourage others to be more honest too.
thanks for the comment, G.
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