Friday, December 19, 2008

Divine Nobodies

I am loving "Divine Nobodies" by Jim Palmer (with Master of Divinity in hand) so far. As he reviews his ever-so-tender revelations about his own history and psyche, he gives credit to those who help him recreate his point-of-view about God. Moreover, he shifted from knowing everything believed to be able to be known about God...to getting to know Jesus himself. Again, his anecdotal stories about those who helped him with this epiphany, astound and amuse me. He describes his "bravery" in befriending a Hip-Hop artist (Extreme Doug), who showed him the lyrics and lifestyle are extensions of the raw pain and honesty that infuse many of the artists.
My favorite quote thus far of his:

When honest, I see how conveniently I make people flaunting fleshly sins an easy
target and scapegoat (and distraction from my own inner reality) as I point my
finger in judgment of their immorality to feel better about myself.
Despite all my spiritual rhetoric about a "relationship with God", one day I
realized my Christianity was essentially a glorified behavior-modification
program safely rationalized beneath a waving WWJD banner....Lately I've been
thinking my blanket condemnation of hip-hop is really me projecting upon hiphop
my own unresolved, unaccepted, unconscious desires. Somehow, somewhere
along the way, my Christianity had become a hamster's wheel of dos and don'ts
(which I commonly referred to as discipleship) that were wearing me out
but not getting me anywhere...I just don't have the time and energy to waste
anymore on reveling in what's wrong with everyone else. Behind this nice
person, I'm screwed up enough to go a long time without ever needing to make
sport over other people's problems.

I am reading with eagerness as he continues to meet more divine nobodies who
help him reframe knowing God...for real.