Borderlands

"Deepest communion with God is beyond words, on the other side of silence."
- Madeleine L'Engle

"By 'minister' I mean any person who lives in the dangerous, exhilarating, life-giving borderlands of human existence, where the everyday experience of life opens up to reveal glimpses of the HOLY -- and not only lives there but comes to the aid of others who are living there."
- L. William Countryman

These are quotes that I saw on friend's facebook page. They bring up two topics that intrigue me: silence and revealing the holy.

In the past few weeks, I have been more out about my sexuality and upcoming wedding. This has fostered wonderful dialogue with my friends who see this aspect of my life as unholy (actually, sinful). In these rare moments, I do not have the words to outline an argument on the theology surrounding the sinful or sinless nature of homosexuality. Instead I return to a lesson that I learned as a summer missionary -- share the gospel according to insert your name here.

This approach works something like this ..."All I know is... I once was blank and now blank" This generates from the New Testament story of a blind man that Jesus healed. The establishment asked him a laundry list of questions about the man that healed him. The healed man's response was pointed , "All I know is that I once was blind but now I see."

For most of us, healing moments are less than common. However, somewhere in the silence of communing with god, and in the borderlands of our human existence, we get may glimpse the Holy. And that glimpse changes us.

All I know is that I was once blind, but now I see.
All I know is that I was once lonely, but now I'm not.
All I know is that I was once restless, but now I'm assured.
All I know is that I once saw life as futile, but now I have purpose.
All I know us that I once new about love as an abstract theory, now I know love as an integral part of life.
All I know is that I once knew everything, but now I know nothing.
All I know is that I am better as a part of a holy relationship than when I was alone.

All I know is that god is god, and that I am not. I have been relieved of my duties as keeper of the universe. I am called to love god and love others and through that I get to glimpse the holy in the borderlands of this thing called life.

May you too spend some time in the borderland and experience god's presence there.