You know the woman Jesus met at the well in Samaria, who was flabbergasted because he seemed to know her life story? (If you don't know her, read the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John and get to know her. Go on, read your scripture. It's good for you.) Well, I felt a little like she must have felt when I read this post by Gallycat/Helen. It's not exactly how it happened in my life (ok, it's obviously allegorical for Helen as well, but you know what I mean), but damned if it doesn't resonate with my experience. That guy Buddha, he's pretty gracious like that, as are a surprising number of his followers. I'm pretty sure Jesus is too (and in this case I mean gracious in the everyday sense; I know he's gracious in the theological sense), though a lot of people are convinced he's more of a "my way or the highway--TO HELL!" sort of dude. Oh well, Gallycat, thanks for writing a piece of my story better than I could have done. (And in return, I stole your really cool GIF.) :-)
15 October 2005
Buddha, Jesus, and me
You know the woman Jesus met at the well in Samaria, who was flabbergasted because he seemed to know her life story? (If you don't know her, read the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John and get to know her. Go on, read your scripture. It's good for you.) Well, I felt a little like she must have felt when I read this post by Gallycat/Helen. It's not exactly how it happened in my life (ok, it's obviously allegorical for Helen as well, but you know what I mean), but damned if it doesn't resonate with my experience. That guy Buddha, he's pretty gracious like that, as are a surprising number of his followers. I'm pretty sure Jesus is too (and in this case I mean gracious in the everyday sense; I know he's gracious in the theological sense), though a lot of people are convinced he's more of a "my way or the highway--TO HELL!" sort of dude. Oh well, Gallycat, thanks for writing a piece of my story better than I could have done. (And in return, I stole your really cool GIF.) :-)
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3 comments:
For some interesting "my way or the highway" feedback, note the pentecostal writing a small novel about how I need to die to my intellectualization of faith and rethink how I have accepted Jesus because, of course, Jesus' exhortation to the apostles in Matthew 10:38 is one proof text, and "No one gets to the father but through me" as the other.
Dean made the fun gif! The native american spirit wheel that's in it was his contribution to it. We created it after walking the labyrinth together.
Yeah, I read (OK, skimmed) those comments. Apparently, you've got some grave misconceptions about your own spiritual autobiography--since Buddha can't lead anybody to God, and you think you came to the God of Christ via Buddha, you're obviously a bit confused. Next time you go on a spiritual journey, take some pictures--how can you expect anybody to believe your fish stories without a little documentation? Although actually, in this age of Photoshop.... ;-)
Oddly, that gif is misbehaving slightly on my blog. (Some of the frames are off-center.) I don't think it approves of my nabbing it from your LiveJournal. Cheeky little monkey.
Tee hee!!! Deliriously confused, and happily so. There are mysteries I have not begun to contemplate!
Ah well. I have an appointment with the rector next week to discuss more fully matters of my journey and where it goes from here.
I don't think I ever answered your question about whom I saw from Holy Comforter: There was a woman I met briefly but whose name I didn't catch, and a gentleman named Greg whom I rode home on the metro with Thursday night.
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