LRC, Houston - the weekends-free church in Houston, Texas

Few will want to read what I’m about to say. Some will say it’s totally wrong: maybe it is, maybe I am, but therein is part of what I am going to say anyway.

There are times when you just have to live with the junk and crap of life, and believe me, there are plenty of opportunities to do just that. I am on a journey to finding as much “pure light” as I can: both in Him and in me. In the meantime though I live in what I’ll call SHADOWLAND. It’s a place where the rubber meets the road, where religious games get knocked out of the competition early on.

The wheat and the weeds (tares) must learn to live together!

Isn’t not an easy thing to do.

We live, and always will, in world of diffused light: a combination of bright light and darkness. Only God, Jesus is pure light. kPure light would blind us. Mixture, darkness, allows us to see more clearly. A paradox to say the least, and one that we really aren’t happy with. It’s simply the story of the cross- the and-also. The opposing tensions of vertical and horizontal concepts. Crucifixation and resurrection at the same time. Beauty and ugly rolled into one moment in history that would change life forever: even eternal life.

There are no perfect people. I certainly am no where close to the concept, but I am overcoming many of my imperfections. It’s not so much where you ARE NOW in the journey, but how far have you come. Don’t try to play the victim, don’t get into the shame and blame game. No one wins there. Who struck the first blow today doesn’t matter, unless you get caught. Somewhere in the annals of history one of our relatives struck a blow, took a hit, and probably a little of both. Who’s keeping score?

I’m weary of trying to go around or side step stuff.

I’ve learned from my wife, and I’ve observed in general that women understand that you can’t find resolution by “going around” things. You have to go THROUGH them- painfully and agonizingly slow as well. Men want to just “forget it”. I’m okay with that so long as we can do it in the mornings. I find evenings are not good for playing tennis: batting the ball back and forth, you know. At night I become impatient and find myself running to the net and slamming the ball down my adversaries throat. Hey, I win the point, but I also usually wind up losing the game.

Somewhere I think I got off course, so let me drive the point home. Life is to be lived with darkness. It will never go away, never be defeated in this life. Deal with it.

But don’t venture into dark alleys alone.

If there was ever a reason for a church, this might be one of them. You there?