When we end up bored with the story,
we find ourselves in a defensive stance.
Bored with the narrative we had hoped to live by
attention is shifted to defending our positions
by attacking their questions
and by questioning the legitimacy of their faith
and we become our ugliest
and we become our most small-minded
and our boredom with the story is made clear to everyone around us
often before it becomes clear to us
And yet when we end up captivated by the story,
we find ourselves in a curious stance.
Intrigued by the narrative we are attempting to live by
attention is shifted to all the ways we have to break open
and spill out and stand down and listen hard
to take on the role of offense seems understated.
Without the need to fight anymore,
we find rouselves mesmerized by the implications of the questions
about what it means to live as people who break open
and spill out justice and dignity and beauty and community and holiness
and so we become our most humble
and so we become our most available
and so we become our most curious and generous and attentive
because we know that this holy story is chasing us,
and if we ask and think and pray and hope and listen well
we will continue to be found.
And in realizing this, we find that
sweating constantly in a position of defense and
fighting for our own rights and our own entitlements
is a fight in the old story
that pales in comparison to the story of kingdom come
on earth as in heaven.
djordan
Pine Tree Dr.
most hopeful 