my take on tolkein's frodo taking the ring, which made it possible for him to become invisible and thus escape perceived danger, and casting it into the fires of, was it, mordor is this. each one of us is faced with a deep, life-long , inner struggle which pits self-protection against self-renunciation. (ie. 'in this particular situation - and there are probably billions - will i do what i want or do what i ought') he left his shire, home, a safe, warm and lovable place, to go on a harrowing epic journey to bring an end to self-protection. his was a representative position, like that of adam and Christ, whereby whatever he did would effect every other being in his world. adam's choice to knowingly follow eve in disobedience to God's only command has resulted irrevocably in every human being born irrationally bent away from and against the only One who loves and can truly help them. there is nothing that can change this. however Christ, already eternally existing as God to all eternity future, in His choice to become a man because that was the only way that he could die in man's place, makes it possible for any human to be miraculously unbent...and thus saved from eternal destruction. frodo, in a mythic way takes his place beside them. his-self-protection- leading-to-enslavement-cum-self-renunciation-leading-to-freedom is, like Christ's action, offered to one and all as a choice. however, the frodo myth is not a once-for-all reality-change but a MOMENT BY MOMENT WAR where it is possible for both self-protection and self-renunciation to silently ebb and flow in one's inner man. the position one is at at any given time, however, is having a silent, powerful, but very real effect on every one else. our unseen, spiritual reality teems with possibilities. i am frodo. i too am on a journey to end self-protection.
dios te bediga (God bless you) was coming out of my mouth this am at mision evangelica. i am understanding snatches now and am able to distinguish many more words as i listen to prayer, praise, singing and teaching. blessed time of worship and singing this am. am trying to pray in spanish and make sense of the sunday school manual, the bulletin and Bible. it is an uncertain journey on both sides. i'm not sure how to relate and i would think they have the same reservations. so, with God's help i will seek to just put one foot in front of the other and see what God has in store.
i hope, by God's grace, to be at the muslim day parade october 12 in nyc and to begin taking a course called bridges for the next seven wednesdays in new jersey. this will further an understanding of areas in which a muslim and a non-muslim have commonalities upon which to establish dialogue.
it seems to be getting more difficult to work. for the last 6 weeks now i have failed to put 40 hours 'on the board', not thru lack of work but thru other things squeezing it out. after an abyssmal 14.5 hour showing this week i am barely hanging onto an 18+hr weekly avg for the year.
ed officially joined bill and i as an inmate at 54 last tuesday and after several hours talking time we are getting acquainted.
the Lord keeps giving me gifts. yesterday a man with whom i worked on a job site over a year ago offered to give me 10 vintage, hard-wood porch pillars. since i only need several i asked for 4 and he said, when asked how much he wanted, that he was going to give them. so now hopefully the porch repair can begin and i can actually fit time in to paint it before cold weather.
it seems as though phil lakjer may be selling his funeral business so i have decided to sign up for a stripped down cremation package which should be settled when i bill him for the painting i am now completing for him.
i am sensing that, for some reason, my heart is not present here with you now so rather than just type more dead words i'll spare us both. hope you have a good week. love, dad
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