Painted white lines on black crumbled concrete.
Black boxes with a red light or hand or a green light or man on metallic chrome poles.
All kinds of people walking back and forth dressed in ways that tell a metropolitan parable.
And cars, impatiently waiting, on every side of the intersection with drivers frothing over the opportunity to feel the rush of adrenaline as they depress their accelerator to the floor.
This is the intersection where we find the crosswalk.
As I observed it I wondered, "How is it that so many people have so much faith in painted lines on the ground and black boxes on the poles?"
On one side you have a machine that weighs over 2 tons and moves up to 160mph.
On the other side you have a woman who weighs less than 150 pounds and moves 3mph.
Yet, the woman walks, without flinching, in front of the machine
Inside the crosswalk
Because she believes.
She believes because someone, somewhere, told her that someone, somewhere made a rule that if someone, somewhere painted white lines on the black concrete and put black boxes on the chrome pole that she would be protected from the 2 ton machine that moves up to 160mph.
She doesn't know the someone and hasn't been to the somewhere, yet she believes.
You see, we all have faith
in someone or something
that exists somewhere.
It's why we continue to adventure through life's intersections without flinching.
Because we believe.
Now our belief doesn't stop the 2 ton machines that can move up to 160mph from crossing the painted white lines on the black concrete and the black boxes on the chrome poles.
But the crosswalk gives us common ground to believe together that the someones, somewhere that told us about the other someones, somewhere were telling us the truth and that their truth might contribute to a safer living experience for us all.
That if we both believed in the word of people we've never met or seen; we might all make it to our destinations safely.
So maybe faith doesn't have to be a place where we divide, but one where we unite.
A place where we cross.
wow - so simply & elegantly put. Thank you.
Thank you Karen for your comment. Feedback is cool because although I'm okay with flinging my art out into the anonymity of the blogosphere, it's cool to have the ship in the bottle return.
Hi Ben,
If you don’t mind, could you please further develop your thoughts/ explain what you mean on the last part of this blog?
“ But the crosswalk gives us common ground to believe together that the someones, somewhere that told us about the other someones, somewhere were telling us the truth and that their truth might contribute to a safer living experience for us all.
That if we both believed in the word of people we've never met or seen; we might all make it to our destinations safely.
So maybe faith doesn't have to be a place where we divide, but one where we unite.
A place where we cross.”
Thanks. I appreciate it.
Sure.
I'm encouraging people to find common things we can believe in and build on them rather than focusing on the things that tear us apart as a starting point. It doesn't mean we stop the car crash, but maybe we can find ways of sharing the road.
Maybe we can find slow ways of taking the risky walk of faith out on the ledge together, listening to each other rather than talking at each other; serving rather than taking; loving rather than manipulating.
Learning to share our lives and our world with each other with the faith we can see at the crosswalk.
Thanks so much for your comment.
Hi (again) Ben,
thank you for replying my curiosity.
So then, I have two questions that may or may not be worthy of you thoughts (if you don't mind sharing):
1. Could you share what you believe some of those "common things we can believe in and build on?"
2. At what point in your own belief system do you find that what has been "built" (so to speak) with other opposing beliefs or worldviews begins to tear down because of differences?
Those common things are specific to who we individually are and who we're building with. That's the adventure of the intersection. Do you like how I got out of that one? =)
No, but seriously, I think those common things are found not in a generalization I can make, but in the interaction we can have with different individuals. This is still something I'm discovering.
About the tearing...I think the tearing begins to come when I stop listening to and feeling others. As you've probably noticed by my categories, I follow Jesus. And He teaches me that by "seeing Him" in others, I am moved from the place of power into the place of weakness where my aim no longer is to "win", but rather to serve what I believe to be His greater cause in the world.
Peace.
Love.
Hope.
Freedom.
Transformation.
(The following text below might sound weird but I'll take a shot at it anyway.)
Because I believe His(Jesus) cause has already been set into motion, I don't pursue victory. I feel more called to walk my life out in that cause which empowers me to live my life out among those who's lifestyles, mindsets, and activities are oftentimes hostile to my own. But in this, I find peace within and lots of opportunities to build bridges with people and people groups that I would otherwise never be able to engage. I'm learning to not tell someone why I feel or believe what they're doing is wrong and listen more to why they think it is right while making myself available to them in relationship.
I appreciate your wrestle...really do.
Hi Ben,
I think it interesting what you all are saying. I have a (2 part) question for you as well. What is your take on postmodernism? Do you embrace it or reject it? And why or why not?
Postmodernism is the lens by which I understand emerging generations, of which I am a part of, to be viewing themselves and the world around them. While I do embrace shades of gray over black and white; I still have my absolutes that shape my reality and I believe the reality around me regardless whether others identify that reality as reality.
In the method I use to learn about God, my life, and the world around me; I use a method that is somewhat based out of a "gray" way of viewing things. When we study sacred text, we (those I study with) understand it individually and collectively which is both gray and black & white.
Or maybe it's just really dark gray.
But I would have to say that I don't reject a postmodern approach to life because it is part of my personal makeup within the emerging generation. I understand that it isn't for everyone...
Well, there goes my postmodernism again =)