Facts explain, Stories save

This morning on my run/walk - down by the lake. Misty grey day! 

In the crisp morning air with the rays of light peeking through the grey shadow that let its tears hit the ground, I put my feet to the cold carpet and allowed the chill to hit my skin as a though sparked in my mind realizing that a year can evaporate before I know it!! 

Recently I read 

"Facts can explain us, but only story will save us"

These words mull around within me as I look upon the day, tasting sweet and bitter at the same time. 

In the middle of a culture of what feels like outrage at times, where judgment can be our dialect of choice and anger, finger pointing beyond ones actions, to claim they define who the person is rather than a simple reflection of accumulation of factors; leaves a virus trend and communal sickness on the surface. 

Please just stop and watch the sun rays play over the flowers, watch as the sun dances on waters surface reflecting back the shadow of the Glory. Look what is before you, in moments that seem to be upside, there is beauty about this, there is a natural redeemed at hand…. sometimes, all I want to do is just smell the flowers; inhale deeply and make moments of the day become meaningful, that will last beyond the loud. 

As I ate my breakfast, I listened intensely hearing how scientist at Harvard have created a new platform for antibiotic discovery that may help solve the crisis of antibiotic resistance. It was explained using a simile - smart phone. If you have a smart phone in your hand then you can not break it down to tell every particle as its too complex. Yet if you broke it down to case, screen, chip and so forth you would be able to work out how to make. The same approach used to break down antibiotics, there are eight foundations then can build upon these. It is thought that by 2025 there will be a large percent of people suffering from resistance towards antibiotics. 

Now, I was taken by this for a couple of reasons, firstly as the weekend just past I went to a wellbeing talk presented by a local doctor. It was good, really good - will have to write post about it. She informed us that cattle, mainly in America were given biotics in their feed so this would decrease the amount of illness passed on to humans due to crowd conditions, poor environment factors and also the type of diet; also this helps to fatten them. She went on to express that the prescription of antibiotics is a hugh issue, this has been in the news recently. She expressed the effects on the human bodies that antibiotics cause acting like a small nuclear bomb going off, causing a lot of damage to the gut bacterial, resulting in taking a good six months to recover and come to balance again. 

(note Im not saying antibiotics don't have value or help people as they do, just possibly not those with common colds, flu etc that tends to be a reason people are given them so freely) 

During Mass I was listening to the readings, then waited in anticipation for the small homily that normally follows. In recent days I have often wondered about the words expressed and questions lay before those who come to weekly mass and even the jokes that I see offensive questioning my sense of humor as I struggle to laugh. I LOVE a good homily, it excites me, lets my brain cells light up with jumping between script, recalling different parables, putting into everyday life. Often I feel like that is the moment I just know the holy spirit is guiding the person before me who is representing us as a priest of the people. 

Today, no excitement nor delight….. instead frustration that one would use reference to Jesus trying to teach us about the 'cost factor'. 

To me this is very VERY secular way of thinking! Cost !! Are you kidding me, that is what you get from the message of leaving dead to bury dead!! 

Yes I know that sometimes the term cost is used to refer to self denial, however I didn't get that message today from the words spoken, nor really thought too much in this terms. 

As I sat there highly aware of those present, who do not need to be told in secular terms of a cost weight or comparison. Jesus didn't talk in secular terms, the word cost is rather CROSS yes, cost not!!! 

This might be one of those times when word choose can change and have a rather large impact. Rather one could think cost actually is referring to courage! Almighty courage that is gifted to all of us by the Holy Spirit to fight for truth! It can be in different forms, moral courage, intellectual courage, physical courage. Yes there comes a moment when the cross needs to be picked up and owned and carried. Not to be blind though, it is never done alone!! 

Sometimes we need to embrace and make the most of the grace of God. 

We have to let go, let the world go ahead and get loud and large. Time to stop putting Christianity into secular terms, or limiting its message through this means. 

There are fresh starts in quiet starts. There are small and hidden seeds that are growing into forests, that are growing into the greatest fields. No need to break every small thing down into finding the few facts that hold the string to which we try to balance or give a few new building blocks upon. We have already been given the answers, fast pace, self demanding society places implications of seeking short cuts, instant answers. Oh my dear children, I have given you the answers so clearly, look at what you are reading, eating, speaking - This may be the Lord looking upon us shaking head with that overwhelming love and forgiveness for our senselessness. 

Lord gave us the story of creative and unconditional love that is imprinted on creation, and especially on the spirit of human beings. If we want to empower others give them a story to share, after all history shows the way to bring down a person, nation, or religion simply destroy their stories!! 

Our spiritual story has its heroes and heroines and we continue to write it each day we live. Every little day is just a little bit better; small things done constantly make big changes and habits matter because habits are the spine of our self control. Our habits unclothe us - they expose our wounds, our insecurities, our idols, our addictions - or our hopes, our dreams, our prayers. Our habits are us! The patterns of our lives reveal the form of our souls.  Its like small seeds keep been planted and growing in the field, that are like growing trust that in the smallness of the seed of Life, of faithful stewarding seeded moments, is what grows a habit of astonishing abundance flowing onto been told in the form of a story to express the grace and glory that has been showered upon us, rather than the facts of the chance or cost taken!!