a second journey...

Second Journeys usually end quietly with a new wisdom and a coming to a true sense of an adult who has regained equilibrium, stabilized, and found fresh purpose and new dreams.  It is a wisdom that gives some things up, lets some things die, and accepts human limitations.  It is a wisdom that realizes: I cannot expect anyone to understand me fully.  It is wisdom that admits the inevitability of old age and death…

For the Christian, this second journey usually occurs between the ages of thirty and sixty and is often accompanied by a second call from the Lord Jesus.  The second call invites us to serious reflection on the nature and quality of our faith in the gospel of grace, our hope in the new and not yet, and our love for God and people.  The second call is a summons to a deeper, more mature commitment of faith where the naiveté, first fervor, and untested idealism of the morning and the first commitment have been seasoned with pain, rejection, failure, loneliness, and self-knowledge… - B. Manning. Ragamuffin Gospel. 164-165.

Not quite sure if I ever completed my first journey…

A Case of Syncretism—

The Christmas pageant was over—or so I thought.  Christ’s birth to Mary and Joseph had been announced by angels, dressed in pure white.  Their faces were brown and their message In Telugu, for we were in South India.  The shepherds had staggered on stage, acting half drunk, but herding the smaller children down on all fours as the sheep.  Not quite what I was reared to expect, but something I could explain in terms of cultural differences.  Unlike Palestinian shepherd, who are known for their sobriety and piety, Indian shepherds are known for their drink and dancing.  But the message was not lost, for at the sight of the angels the shepherds fell to the ground, frightened sober.

The wise men and Herod had appeared on stage in regal splendor.  Now we sat cross-legged and crowded, as the shepherds, wise men, and angels gathered with Mary and Joseph around the manger.  A fine ending to the Christmas story.  Suddenly, out jumped Santa Claus!  With a merry song and dance, he began to give out presents to Jesus and the others.  He was the hero of the pageant.  I sat stunned. – P. Hiebert, Anthropological Insights for Missionaries. 13

barry harris NYC jazz workshop--

Last night, I finally gathered enough courage to go to Barry Harris Jazz workshop in the city.  When I entered and told the registrar that I wanted to register for the remainder of the year, he said, ‘hope you know what you’re getting into!’  I guess he didn’t realize that I’ve been playing music since I could remember.  But, nevertheless, learning jazz for me is a completely different beast.

The night ended up being very enjoyable…much of the workshop was more of an ear training session where he’d sing a line and expected us to play the same line w/ our instruments.  Surprisingly, I found myself keeping up pretty well w/ everyone.  I thoroughly enjoyed my experience there.  Definitely a good choice!