art and faith class.

today has been pretty amazing...

God is really being my prince of peace today...

just breathing.

just being.

madeleine l'engle helping me understand and being the catalyst to my rest filled heart.

sighhhhhhh

Beautiful concepts... 

the Kirkegaard quote about the two knights... how bout i just say it???

Basically we discussed how there are two knights in every christian's life... the knight of resolute obedience... who sees the world as black and white... 

then the transition into greys...

the knight of faith...

the first knight closes his fist and pounds into his head the absolute truths looking at the world as right and wrong. does everything the Lord puts his way...

the second knight opens his hands to the Lord and says ... whatever you have me do Lord.

My questions then were about this transition into the second knight... that every christian must undergo as they mature...

What about all these students who are the first knight... but see the faith filled knight and hear his questions for the Lord, his addresses to the grey and his doubt about things they themselves see as black and white...

what about the students who are prematurely brought into questioning?  the cynicism that results as they look without the correct heart on the great questions of our faith...

how does one deal with a critical immature spirit... in ourselves and in others?

------

then the genius of Catling's love for Thomas.

Doubting Thomas who everyone chastises for his lack of faith... 

I'd thought about this a long time ago but it reawakened today ...

The other disciples had already betrayed Jesus... but quickly "believed" (catling believes, because of his experience with humans ... because they wanted that right hand spot with Jesus... to be able to say they had not doubted)

Thomas admitted he just didn't get it...

and what did Jesus do...

He REWARDED thomas by asking him to come experience greater intimacy...

This image that Catling believes represents birth... 

Men can only experience birth through being wounded... the ties to pain and the giving of blood and water to save lives... this is the birth that men give...

and Jesus wounds bled and released water... through them we are reborn...

Thomas experienced what Nicodemus was beckoned to in the garden at night....

new life.