Fearless Wonder

We went to another great Emergent Cohort last night. The topic was sex trafficking, in particular, the trafficking of young girls who are sold into sexual slavery. A women from Innocence Atlanta informed us that Atlanta is number 1 city in the nation for sex trafficking due to the airport. We mainly talked about the causes and possible solutions to this problem, but the one true story the Innocence Atlanta representative shared at the beginning was truly terrifying and heartbreaking. She told us of a young girl and her sister kidnapped from Moldovia, rapped, beaten, (the sister died) then trafficked from Europe to New York. Like many others this girl was sent to work all over the country, it keeps them from forming bonds. She was forced to service 20 men a day and her life was constantly at risk. When she finally managed to escape she as recaptured several times, beat again and again, and finally died in the hospital before the rescue agency could get to her. The story is told i...

I've been taking communion, and asking myself why? What do I mean by this? What do I see in this? We've been going to a house church on Sunday night* and they have communion each week, so I've had to consider this rite more frequently. We had communion at my SDA church this Saturday too so I guess I got a double helping this weekend. The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh has taken part in the Eucharist. He said in reference to that, "To me, religious life is life. I do not see any reason to spend one's whole life tasting just one kind of fruit. We humans can be nourished by the best values of many traditions." He also considers the Eucharist/Communion a call to mindfulness which puts us in touch with ultimate reality, with Christ. In taking communion I am trying to touch what Christ might be and take what he might offer. What he is and what he offers, I don't know for certain. I have said that I am Buddhist already because in a very practical sense I ...

I've been on hiatus from deep thinking. It was becoming to much to handle. Even though I believe its impossible to be absolutely sure of anything, my Adventist mentality still tells me it's possible to have THE TRUTH. So my brain was rocketing back and forth between belief systems, trying to make something stick, but realizing that every belief system is full of flaws. A recent death in the family helped propel my need to stop thinking. It was getting to much to handle and I just had to let things be for awhile. I watched sappy Korean dramas and avoided spirituality. After awhile though, it turned from avoidance into good old depression. Thankfully it was free from panic attacks and rabid self destructive hate. I just sort of didn't do anything for a few days. Coming back to life now, but still unsure of anything. I guess it is going to have to be that way for awhile. Yet is still bothers me that so many people claim to know the TRUTH, know God, have the answers....