Cosmic Dance

I have a new calendar by my desk at work. It’s a “new universe” calendar which suggests small activities to do each day of the year (e.g., reflect with your heart, reverence your story, be free of fear). My hope is that the calendar will remind me of the small things I can do in a day to stay awake to the movements of life. I’m amazed at night, when I reflect back on my day, how many special moments there were, how many things I didn’t even think twice about, and how many encounters went unreverenced. I start the new year staying awake!

The intention in today’s calendar box asks me to share a favorite book with others. Wow, what timing! This past couple weeks I have been reading a book my Mom gave me entitled The Shack by WM. Paul Young. I’ve been captivated by the depth in which he writes, amazed at the topics he treats, and riled up by the theology espoused. Each of us appropriates ‘our theology’ differently; yet, I think this book has universal appeal. It’s universal not in it’s Judeo- Christian principles, or it’s God-centric language, or it’s suggestive dogma. It’s universial in that it takes someone’s story - their humanity masquerading as something else - and asks of the reader:

What does it mean to be human?

What does it mean to be fully alive?

And for Christians, how does the Trinity inform what we believe and how we live our lives?

The Shack is someone’s personal narrative, beautifully presented, rife with moments of vulnerabiltiy and authenticity. The mask comes off, his truly human face peeks through. If only more of us allowed such honesty and transparency in our lives, especially amongst those who loves us and we love.

I recommend the book. It’s an easy read physically, but will pounce on your heart, shake things up, ask deep questions about authenticity and life. I think the calendar will come in handy - is this type of thinking staying awake to the inner movements within and the cosmic dance in the world at-large?

In case your interested, tomorrow’s intention asks: What do you allow to flow through you? Rest assured, I don’t plan to blog on that topic, although maybe each person who reads this will give it some thought.