Surviving the Storm

Photo taken by Julie Pohl

The above image is of a hymnal from a United Methodist Church destroyed in a tornado on February 29, 2012 in Harveyville, Kansas. The hymnal survived.  It was found in the midst of absolute ruin.  It was beaten and battered – but it survived.  It is proof that things -- and I believe humans, as well -- can and do survive the storms that come into our lives.  Yes, damage can be left in the wake of storms and it can be devastating but it can also provide for growth, change, new possibility and re-creation can occur.

Sometimes we wonder how we are supposed to endure all that comes our way.  Sometimes it feels as if we are living a life of sheer survival.  Sometimes we feel like the good moments are merely reprieves between the storms. 

But the truth is … life is a blessing.  That blessing is a series of ups and downs.  It is a bounty of experiences and opportunities.  It is a feast of people, places, and events that are part of our journey.  It is a journey that is rich with possibilities and options.

In my younger days, I would moan and complain about the “crap” that would pile one on top of the other in my life.  I thought it was some horrid test that I was failing. Illness, car expenses, lost jobs, stresses, and other stuff seemed to come over and over.  It felt like evil and negativity were laying traps for me.  It was frustrating.

I remember hearing that God never gives us more than we can handle.  But, I thought, obviously God was overestimating what I could handle.

As I have matured in my faith, I understand that God is not testing me ... it’s life.  Life happens.  Good things come our way and difficulties do, as well.  It is the cycle of reality.  We have mountains and valleys.  If we focus on the valleys – we will miss the amazing journey up and around the mountain – and the view from the top.  If we only focus on the mountain top we feel betrayed when we find ourselves in the valley.  It’s the whole journey – not one extreme or the other – that helps us grow in our life and in our faith.

As Brian McLaren writes:  “Yes, thank God, in this life there are green pastures, still waters, overflowing cups, and laden banquet tables. But there are also valleys of the shadow of death in which evil lurks and enemies wait for a misstep or mistake upon which to pounce. To sustain us through those dark valleys, we are given simple words of aspiration, refusal, and lament: when?, no, and why?” (word 9, from Naked Spirituality pp. 181)

And what I trust is this -- “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4.13:  (NRSV).  Or maybe another version works for you:  “Christ gives me the strength to face anything.” (CEV)  This passage is so important in my life.  It reminds me that I am strong – I can survive – because Christ has given me strength to survive and thrive.

No matter what – mountain or valley or in between – we are not alone.  We are not too weak to endure.  Christ is with us on our journey.  Christ strengths us to endure. 

The journey continues …

Flying with the Goose

I just returned from The Wild Goose Festival at Shakori Hills, NC.  It was an amazing experience.   I am still pondering and processing all that I saw and heard.  It was a fusion of justice and Jesus!  It was a place where anyone and everyone was invited to walk together in faith.  The website for the festival states that “the Wild Goose is a Celtic metaphor for the Holy Spirit. We are followers of Jesus creating a festival of justice, spirituality, music and the arts. The festival is rooted in the Christian tradition and therefore open to all regardless of belief, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, denomination or religious affiliation.”  (http://www.wildgoosefestival.org/intro).  That says a lot and it was all that + a bag of chips.   It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

I came home with renewed faith in the power of a community of believers.  I came home with a new sense of the spread of progressive Christianity – not just in typical Progressive circles, but also into Evangelical circles as well as into numerous denominations and faith traditions.  I came home with a sense that our collective stories of faith are more similar than different.  I came home with a belief that together we can envision a world where we can overcome the differences in our theology.  I also came home with chigger bites and a sore back from sleeping in a tent, but those inconveniences were far outweighed by the blessings of being there at the first ever Wild Goose.

I heard music by Michelle Shocked, Over the Rhine, Beth Nielson Chapman, and many others.  One of the highlights was talking with Vincent Harding who worked with MLK in the Freedom Movement (he believes the name Civil Rights Movement limits it too much).  I heard Jay Bakker talking about grace, Jim Wallis talk about the mess in Washington, Brian McLaren talk about the future and the church, Tony Jones talk about sexuality, and so many others.  I was part of a panel on Church Planting with Nadia Bolz-Webber and Cheri Holdridge.  It was held in a geodesic dome in the woods.  It was a blessing to be there, but there were too many people to hear and too little time.

Little kids were running around playing Duck, Duck, Goose with painted faces.  Families were camping out and cooking on camp stoves.  Conversations about faith and life were taking place all around the festival.  There were 20-somethings covered in tattoos and 60+ folks in their Dockers and bow ties sitting on the ground and on camp chairs enjoying the festivities together.  Folks painted each other with water and mud and brought yarn to unite in a beautiful prayer tree.  The Goose – the Holy Spirit – was everywhere.  The Spirit was in the trees, the camp tents, the contributors and participants, the face painted little kids, the breeze blowing through the fields, and the s’mores offered by tent neighbors. 

I am glad I went the Goose.  I was blessed by the Goose.  And I will return to the Goose.  In the meanwhile – I will fly with the Goose in all I do.  The Goose is with me always.  And also with you!!