“The world is violent and mercurial — it will have its way with you. We are saved only by love — love for each other and the love that we pour into the art we feel compelled to share: being a parent; being a writer; being a painter; being a friend. We live in a perpetually burning building, and what we must save from it, all the time, is love.”
― Tennessee Williams
There is so much talk, noise, and, honestly, frustration in this world. The news, the socials, are competing forces so potent, we, by design, really have no clue anymore, what is true or false. It’s too much. For me, I believe the bottom line — the simple truth, that will always remain once the ashes settle — is when a society elevates technology and/or human beings to a divine status — it eventually explodes. We grab our things, run through the smoke, and have the audacity to ask: what happened?
Supposing one were a thing after all — a thing designed and invented by Someone Else and valued for qualities quite different from what one had decided to regard as one’s own true self?
– C. S. Lewis, That Hideous Strength (quite a scary analogy of us)
We want to control everything and yet — we cannot control a Sovereign God. So we build Golden Calves, because we are terrified and impatient — or towers to heaven, trying to make a name for ourselves (Babel). We ignore the deeper messages because we are consumed — and our consumption is extremely satisfying to Satan.
I saw the new “kid’s movie,” Hoppers, yesterday, and walked away with a mighty message. This time it was a message I 100% agreed with. I also thought it could have been shorter or less scary at the end. I digress. (spoiler alert) —> When I saw the entire forest burning — it spoke heavy to my heart that despite the lead character’s (Mabel) good intentions to save a natural habitat —> all good intentions have the potential to manifest into extreme behavior where we can become (unintentionally) the very thing we are fighting. So when those of us who love nature and want to preserve it — and those of us who also appreciate and use highways, vehicles, and modern convenient inventions, collide — we should take a look inward and figure out a way to get along, compromise, make way for both, etc. — for the sake of good intention — and each other.
Difficult when up against idols (power).
Making enemies out of those you consider to be harmful or harming our world can only lead to destruction in the end. After all, “Mabel,” attended a school probably built on land that natural habitats once occupied, drove in her mother’s car probably over a bridge that took away another habitat, and on and on. However, when the movie opened, all I wanted to do was CHEER HER ON. She had my heart. My heart also needed a reality check — and this movie — although “a lot” at times — spoke of how we can get swept up into beliefs that can remove us from reality. From each other. And if we really cared about this earth, each other, and all that God has created for us, then we would truly “be in this together” — which was a phrase I despised during the pandemic. I despised it because I knew it was being used by mere men and women to control us. Used by authorities who considered themselves higher than God.
Idols.
When our leaders and/or heroes are exposed, as we’ve seen in recent news — a man, “a leader,” whose face is on many murals — with 65 streets named after him — we are ultimately let down. Humans are fallible. God is not. And we don’t like that. And right now, we are living through (again) some of thee most corrupt and violent times in history. Leaders profiting themselves, ignoring great despair and laws meant to protect - versus - truly helping the people they represent.
This is due to idolatry → which grows self importance → and abuse of power.
Like a slow leak — foster it — and it will eventually turn into a sink hole.
Mabel was outraged from day one with Mayor Jerry — a greedy politician who doesn’t care for nature and animals and only cares about re-election and expanding a new freeway — as much arguing ensued between them. She tried to absorb beauty, be at peace, as her grandma had suggested — “It’s hard to be mad when you feel like you’re part of something big” — but… she slowly discovered that the mayor’s selfishness and greed lead him to cruelty. It got so bad in the end, death became choice. No matter how bad it was, Mabel realized her love of nature brought her to the extreme. It lead to a target on the mayor’s back. She didn’t want him to die! But she wanted. He wanted. (and isn’t it funny when you push someone, anyone, good or bad, hard enough, they push back? often harder?)
We all want, want want.
How does this work with 8.3 billion people on earth??
You know? we truly are called to be “in this together” in the most deeply authentic way.
It’s not “oh well” — live with it.
We can do so much better than that.
It’s this: Save love from the perpetually burning building. Don’t let systems, built like Golden Calves, false sustainability, prevent you from being a human being. Throw down signs that lead to nowhere — tend the garden — and each other.
Working together where we can. Despite our differences.
It’s the only way.
Devote yourself to me it said: "bow down and worship my head" Don't think twice, for it will be N.I.C.E. From a plug in the wall you will need to recall the things that I say are urgent today For I am the light - electric and bright I might drool on the floor, but you will want more of my artificial beauty, consider it your duty. And as the days linger on, we sing our anthem song until sparks of hollow, you swallow will drip on this seemingly magical trip where all is ideal and nothing is real For my master hackery - a Merlin battery where some say "oh well, it's all gone to hell" and be that your will -> behold and be still for I Am --> and no other could ever count you as sister and brother -- The Head
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” — Genesis 2:15
Image above: from a collab piece I did with Jenn (below) — to spread beauty (my image above on FujiX and a piece of art in my kitchen)
Music: clipped version of “Oh Well” by Fleetwood Mac, 1969
Poetry: wrote it from a vision of “the decapitated head on the wall” in C.S. Lewis’ “That Hideous Strength” and the choices we make that can destroy everything, including our most treasured relationships.
