Colored People

"The great risk is not that we will fail to qualify to be reunited with God. The risk is that we will somehow fail to understand why we are here." - Robert Benson

I have felt that statement for many years, but never was it articulated until I read Benson's book "Between the Dreaming and the Coming True." Why am I here? What is it that God is wanting to show me while I'm here? I feel like the usual approach we take is "What is it that God wants me to DO?" There's always a heavy emphasis on doing/action. That's fine and I believe there is some merit to that perspective. However, what if it's not such much what he wants me to DO as what he wants me to SEE/EXPERIENCE/LEARN?

I was blessed the other evening to be able to attend a lecture series led by the poet David Whyte. If you're not familiar with Whyte's work, acquaint thyself. A constant thread through his poetry and prose writing is the art of paying attention - what you'd expect from a poet. But Whyte speaks of it in a way that is so compelling, so empowering, so imperative. He bangs the drum of paying attention because if we do not, we may miss the reason why we are here. And that's a risk David Whyte does not want to take. And his earnest plea is that you and I won't take that risk either. Being alert, paying attention, looking and asking and seeking and knocking - all of these phrases describe the life rhythms of someone who wants to understand why he or she is here. But talk about a narrow road - I mean, how many people do you know, including yourself, that you would describe as someone who pays attention? Someone who is alert?

The church of my youth has done a dis-service here because the emphasis was always on something that needed to be done (accepting Christ) and then you were going to heaven; you'd be reunited one day with God. And once you had this (salvation) you could not lose it. There were other churches in my youth that stressed the possibility of losing said salvation; so, you always had to be on your guard, lest you lose it. But maybe there's a middle road here that both groups missed? Maybe it is vitally important to take Christ's hand, a hand that will one day lead you into re-union. This is not something you can lose, like car keys or an eraser; it is something assured. But what Christ wants to do in this life is take a brush to the canvas of salvation, fill it in with colors and shading, textures and subtle nuances of light. He wants to complete what he started; but if I'm not paying attention, being alert, staying on guard, then I'll enter that re-union one day quite possibly a few shades shy. He wanted to add some magenta to my life, but I was basically asleep, so I'll enter heaven magenta-less. An aspect of my life would have been marvelous with a little cornflower blue, but I had my head in the sand. Oh, I'll still be there, just not as colorful. I know - the theological ice gets pretty thin there; what, is God not omnipotent? Will his plans or desires not come to pass? They're all decent questions, but they're just decent enough to keep me worried about finding some set of answers or resting on my salvific laurels rather than living into my magenta-ness; fully embracing my cornflower blue. If nothing else, this perspective involves me in the story; I'm not some passive telephone pole who's just hanging around until the bell rings. No, I have some part to play in this drama; I matter, I contribute...I hope.