The Christmas Difference: Service People

Greetings Dear Reader,

I have an every diner.  It is like hundreds of diners that can be found in cities and towns.  It is my favorite.  I used to have another favorite but it closed.  It took me a couple of years to find this one.  At first it was a short drive from where I lived but now it is longer.  I have to make an effort if I want to go there and I do make that effort.

There are people that eat two or three meals a day there.  The wait staff has changed little in the last eight years.  The menu has changed even less.  It is the kind of place that when I walk in the door I am greeted by name and treated like family.  I eat far too many of my meals alone for my liking and eating at this diner soothes a great part of that.

Over the years I have established a tradition involving this diner that I think may benefit others.  We all have service people in our lives that work hard to please us.  Most of them make less that we do and work at demanding jobs.  One of the ways I show my appreciation to the folks at my every diner is to go there for breakfast on Christmas Eve morning.  I take whoever went bell ringing with me that morning and buy them a hot breakfast to chase away the chill.

After an excellent breakfast I have a quiet conversation with the owner and hand him some money.  I provide a modest tip for each of the people who work there.  It is not much to me and is to them.  It makes a difference not just in the money in their pockets but in the respect for what they do for a living.

In making a difference at Christmas I would challenge you to find a way to honor the service people that make your life easier or more pleasant.  If you have to work a little harder or sacrifice a little to do it, mores the better.  When we benefit from the hard work of others we should give some of that back.

If we hope to live out the spirit of love and generosity that is supposed to characterize the Christmas season then we must begin with those around us who work to make our lives better.  Give it a try.  I would love to hear what you find joy in doing for others.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Greed

Greetings Dear Reader,

I hope that your Thanksgiving was full of family and joy.  Mine sure was.  I found great joy in the food that I served, the friends that came, and in the time with my children and my Grandson.  My younger Son, Bezel could not be there and I missed him greatly.

What really astounded me was that for reason merchants felt that the right way to celebrate a day of giving thanks and a time for families was to require workers to be present.  Many stores chose to open Thanksgiving Day.  All this said to me was greed.  It caused me to avoid everything to do with shopping for both Thursday and Friday. 

I am saddened by the greed that is flooding over into a day that is supposed to be dedicated to giving thanks for the blessings we already have.  I realize that esteeming one day over another is simply a social construct.  Those constructs, however, are what teach us morals and values.  What does it say about those values if we put the shopping above time with family and pull others away from theirs so that we can indulge our need to consume?

Further I am horrified by the increased violence associated with “Black Friday” events.  People push, shove, and harm others for a better deal.  One woman used pepper spray to clear crowds away from the Xbox she wanted.  People got into physical conflicts over yoga pants, bath towels, and waffle makers. 

In reading stories in the news about the aforementioned incidents a theme recurred.  Most of the writers referred to Thanksgiving as a day dedicated to overindulgence.  Again it troubles me that we ponder greed over giving thanks.  We embrace food and shopping over gratitude and the needs of others.

I am thankful for so many things in my life.  I know that I show that gratitude.  I worry that the world is losing this.  I fear for the overwhelming greed that enshrouds what is the beginning of the Christmas season.  It saddens me that we grasp for more when there are still those without common necessities.  I fear that the growth of the greed will only continue.  I am determined to make a difference.  In coming days we will ponder how.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

  

Silver Bells

Greetings Dear Reader,

I hope your Thanksgiving Day was full of joy and plenty.  I know that mine was beautiful and blessed.  As usual my Grandson stole the show.  He is just amazing.  Friends were here and it was a blessing to know them a little better. 

As I start my morning on “Black Friday” I will not be shopping.  I will be bell ringing for the Salvation Army.   Please consider taking a shift of two hours some time between now and Christmas.  You can sign up at www.ringbells.org .  This organization feeds people and works to keep families off the street.  If you are out shopping you have more than them.  Please share so that others may have.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

On Giving Thanks: I Truly Am

Greetings Dear Reader,

The house is full of wonderful smells.  The pies are backed adding the aroma of pumpkin, apple, and accompanying spices to the air.  The turkey is in the oven wafting out an invitation that I will later indulge.  The stuffing is ready for the over and the mixer is anxiously awaiting the potatoes and later the whipped cream.

Later family and friends will join me at my home.  We will pray and eat.  We will talk and laugh.  An added blessing is that Maxim has the day off so he, Raven, and Orion will join us.  I still have some bread to bake and tea to make.  I go to it with joy and anticipation.  I also feel deep gratitude for all that God has provided for me.

One thing that I do not express my thanks for enough is you Dear Reader.  I hope that today finds you steeped in comfort and joy.  If you know me and don’t have a place to celebrate we are dining at two o’clock.  We have plenty.

I want you to know how much your reading, comments, and support mean to me.  I have tried writing in a vacuum and it is lonely and barren.  My chats with you Dear Reader give me courage to face the blank page.  So today I am thankful for you.  May God bless you richly and give grace that you feel no sorrow.  May your journey be filled with not only joy and peace so that you find your way home and relish the journey. 

Happy Thanksgiving.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

On Giving Thanks: Baking Bread

Greetings Dear Reader,

On the east side of the town in which I live is a large bakery.  Early in the morning the smell of fresh bread fills the area around it.  Many years ago when I first moved into a different house near that bakery Avalon and I decided to sleep at the house the first night of the closing.  We had sleeping bags, pillows, and a change of clothes. 

I also snuck our bread maker into the house so that we could have fresh bread for breakfast in the morning.  After she fell asleep I set up the machine and timed it so the bread would be ready as we woke up the next morning.  About an hour before the bread was done Avalon shook me awake and excitedly told me that she could smell the bakery.  I laughed and assured her that I thought that was a wonderful thing.  Her joy when she realized later that I had made bread for us for breakfast was exuberant.  It became a running moment of laughter in our lives that when we smelled bread baking we would comment that one could smell the bakery from wherever we were.

My house smells like fresh baked bread this morning.  Today we have a Thanksgiving meal for all those with whom I work.  This is one of those smells that enriches my life no matter when I encounter it.  I cannot think of anyone for whom this is not true.  I will bake at least two more loaves before our Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. 

I am thankful for the people I work with and the job that I have.  I get to change lives and give hard working people a chance at a new career.  Today I will share fresh baked bread with my coworkers.  It is of great value to me to do this.  It astounds me that God chooses to make something so basic to life so rich and enjoyable.  I am so thankful that making and sharing it is so simple.  I am also thankful for the opportunity to break bread with those I with whom I work. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

On Giving Thanks: Grandchildren

Greetings Dear Reader,

Today my Grandson is one year old.  Even this old word spinner cannot craft the right phrases to celebrate who he already is.  What a beautiful and intelligent child.  In every way he makes me want to be a better man.  I would that he had that influence on everyone.

In preparing my heart to give thanks I must show gratitude to him.  He has made me gentler, more patient, and more considerate.  He gives hugs already but only when he wishes to.  He smiles every time he sees me.  We play and talk.  I get to sing him to sleep.  I love him.

I know that God uses infants to change families if the families will allow the change.  I watched him light up the room with everything he did as we celebrated his birth on Saturday.  Perhaps the most impact I saw was how everyone wanted his attention.  Everyone needed to be acknowledged by the person in the room with no malice or agenda. 

As I prepare my heart to properly give thanks, I find that my Grandson reminds me constantly to come to God with a child’s innocence.  To trust my Father the Orion trusts Maxim.  To remember that God is as gentle with me as Maxim is with Orion.  So much of life demands that we be adults.  We can be thankful that God wants us to be his children.

Happy Birthday Orion. I love you.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

On Giving Thanks: Cleaning House

Greetings Dear Reader,

My Daughter and I spent part of the day yesterday cleaning in preparation for our guests on Thursday.  The effort was actually fun as we worked together.  We spend the balance of the afternoon quite satisfied with the results and achieved a measure of relaxation.

As I was moving things and putting things away I thought about why I was doing it.  The rooms were not dirty but they were cluttered.  Clutter can make others uncomfortable.  I wonder if my gratitude becomes cluttered by things.  Actually, I am sure it does.  I forget that I am supposed to give thanks in everything. 

I am to take nothing for granted.  Everything I have is a gift from God.  When I fail to show real gratitude for all that I have I displace God in my life just a little more.  So I spent part of the afternoon and will spend part of each day this week “cleaning house.”  

I will examine the places where I am not grateful for what I have.  I will ponder how the ingratitude in those places masks my ability to reflect Christ.  There will be things I need to purge.  I know I have more than I need.  There will be things I need to enhance.  I know I can share more than I do.  The changes will kick up some dust.

Cleaning house is so valuable to welcoming others.  Cleaning out the things that hinder my gratitude toward Christ could prove invaluable.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

On Giving Thanks: Traditional Dishes

Greetings Dear Reader

All over the school where I teach I have heard the same question.  It is a popular one every year; “What are the traditional dishes you make for your family?”  Mine are simple.  My eldest Son is fond of my homemade apple stuffing.  The younger one likes the special dessert I make.  Christmas favors pumpkin pie.  I will be making all of them. 

I am always reminded of the dishes I enjoyed as a child when I start prepping my own.  As fractured as my family was back then there were things I truly enjoyed.  Of late I have missed thanksgiving with my former in-laws.  Thanksgiving dinner at their house always felt very right and evoked much gratitude in my heart.  I have not had good lefse in some time.

Amidst all of this as I go over the grocery list of the few things I still need to buy for Thursday, I measure it against my grocery budget and feel so blessed.  I have also found a way to show more gratitude.  All around me there are food drives and attempts to provide for those in need.  I think that this year I will begin matching my Thanksgiving spending with giving to someone raising funds to provide Thanksgiving for someone else.  What I do can make a difference.  That is important to me.

I know it is a Christmas song but I think that it applies to Thanksgiving as well.  So for your Sunday I urge to follow the link to the song and ponder those in need as we prepare to give thanks for our abundance.

Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow

Through long December nights we talk in words of rain or snow,

while you, through chattering teeth, reply and curse us as you go.

Why not spare a thought this day for those who have no flame

to warm their bones at Christmas time?

Say Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow.

Now as the last broad oak leaf falls, we beg: consider this:

there's some who have no coin to save for turkey, wine or gifts.

No children's laughter round the fire, no family left to know.

So lend a warm and a helping hand: say Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow.

The Hooded Crow

As holly pricks and ivy clings, your fate is none too clear.

The Lord may find you wanting; let your good fortune disappear.

All homely comforts blown away and all that's left to show

is to share your joy at Christmas time with Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow.

Through long December nights we talk in words of rain or snow,

while you, through chattering teeth, reply and curse us as you go.

Why not spare a thought this day for those who have no flame

to warm their bones at Christmas time?

Say Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow. – Ian Anderson

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

On Giving Thanks: Thawing

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I wake up to a rainy November morning it is cold but not freezing.  The air outside smells of damp dead leaves and pushes one to think of a comfy chair, hot coffee, and a good novel (if you choose to spend the day this way I can recommend an author).  My first duty though was a cold one.

Upon awakening and before settling down to the keyboard with my tea I had to go into the chest freezer to remove the Turkey.  According to the online sites that get so much traffic this time of year it take a day of refrigerator thawing for every five pounds of turkey.  That means that this year’s bird needs four days and a bit to thaw.  Since I cook the bird very slowly overnight it means the bird need to begin unfreezing this morning.

As I was taking the turkey out my hands got quite cold.  I thought of my new gloves and then I thought about those who have no gloves or coats or warmth.  It took only moments for my hands to thaw once the turkey was in the fridge.  My mind, whilst preparing my tea turned to the thawing of other things. 

It seems sad to me that we have to thaw our thankfulness and gratitude as well.  I love that we set aside a day to give thanks.  I am sad that we have to run up to it.  Should not I be so filled with gratitude for all that I have that it is just a day more filled with it?  Should I not be so overflowing with thanks for all that God gives me that it is seen as part of who I am?

Those of you who know me know that Christmas is my big thing.  A few years ago I purposed to live with Christmas on my mind every day of the year, even in July.  Should we not be always looking for ways to express our thanks for all that we have every day as well?  I can do this.  It is a small thing to remain grateful.  It is a big thing for others to see it.  It is not good to store our gratitude in the deep freeze.  It should always be at hand; fresh, warm, and shared with everyone.     

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

On Giving Thanks: Preparation

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I was enjoying breakfast with Christmas and Present the other morning it was decided that I was making Thanksgiving dinner.  That is not a problem but my mind went immediately to preparation.  My heart is already filled with joy at the prospect of cooking for others.  Both of my sons are likely working that day but I was planning to make food for them anyway.

All over the nation people are doing the same.  They are planning and purchasing.  They are thawing and prepping.  Homes will be filled with amazing smells.  Ovens and stove tops will be very busy.  Tables will be laden with turkey, ham, meatballs, potatoes, green beans, cranberry, and pies.  The preparation will take far more time than the eating.

I wonder though, if we spend enough time preparing our hearts and minds to be thankful.  My intent is to put thankfulness into my preparation.  My need is to assure that I visit every aspect of thankfulness.  I have so much and so many have so little.  I have peace and safety whilst I have countrymen in harm’s way. 

I know that this Thanksgiving day my mind sees but it will be the one I am given and even for that I will be thankful.  My sons will be working because they do a job that is primarily caring for the needs of others.  They earn their living assuring that others can be independent.  I am very thankful for their conscious career choices.   I am thankful for the job they do and willingly will sacrifice the time with them.

I am thankful that I have a home that can welcome others.  I am thankful that I have the means and skills to do the chopping and preparation.  I will hopefully give the same attention to my heart.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Imago Dei – In Christ Followers: Humility

Greetings Dear Reader,

The thinking on this is so simple.  The living it is so difficult.  My beloved Grandfather used to say about humility, “Humility is one of those things; when you think you have it you have just lost it.”  It is so difficult to embrace this concept.  I know that I wish to be humble.  I know that I wish to prefer others before me; to be meek; to be gentle with others.  Then pride and selfishness scream and rage to win out.

As a follower of Christ the image he wishes others to see in this area is paradoxical.  Christ is humble but from a position of strength.  He wishes for us to know who we are because of his work in us but he also wishes for us to remember who we were before he redeemed us.  He wishes for us to have the confidence of our belonging to him and in that confidence be deferential to others.

We are not entitled because of our relationship with Christ, we are indebted.  We are not better than others we are healed and required to share that healing.  It saddens me so much when I realize I have looked down on someone else because of my relationship to Christ.  It saddens me so much when I squander opportunities to show others the humility that will draw them toward him.

The essence of finding Christ is humility.  The path to following is humility.  This part of the image of God in us is only possible once we follow.  We are all predisposed to pride.  It is this essential battle that allows us to find and follow.  It is up to me to set aside self in preference to selflessness every day.  It is up to me to abandon my own for the greater image of Christ as a humble suffering servant.  The path to Christ is paved with humility.  It is that part of the Imago Dei that bridges me back to those who have not yet followed.  It is in humility that others can see the love and compassion of Christ.  I just need to remember that it is also a constant process in the journey and never a reachable destination.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Imago Dei – In Christ Followers: Generosity

Greetings Dear Reader,

In pursuing a life that reflects the image of God in me I must always love.  From that love must flow an understanding that I am loved so deeply that I will be cared for by God.  All my needs will be met; not all my wants but all my needs.  In that God gives me everything up to and including his own Son.

He asks in return that I be generous.  Next week we set aside time to give thanks for all that we have been given.  So few will people will actually be giving thanks.  Thanksgiving has become so much more about food, family, and football.  We must engage with the Imago Dei in us be being grateful for the many things we already have. 

Even more we must be known for our generosity.  We must give to others from the abundance we have.  We must generously give to those in need.  We must not be satisfied to drop money in a plate whilst also dropping our responsibility.  The very idea of giving is that it must be personal.

The church in most cases as turned giving into a guilt riven guilt shedding exercise.  The act of giving is pushed by greed and entered into because of pressure.  The image of God in us gives from the heart with no guilt or remorse.  Since we know that God will supply all our need then we know that we have the resources from which to give to the needs of others.

When the giving in personal then it is possible for others to see Christ in us and perhaps catch hold of his ultimate gift.  We think that things are ours.  They are not.  All that we are given is to the purpose of giving to the needs of others with no fear that our own needs will go unmet.  Once again we are to be a conduit.  It is our purpose to be a reflection of the Imao Dei in our giving.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Imago Dei – In Christ Followers: Peace

Greetings Dear Reader,

I realize there are many levels of peace.  The facet about which I wish to focus today is that of our inner voice.  The place in us that directs our feelings and responses to the ongoing world is either at peace or in turmoil.  I think that the responses I have to things are a great measure of my inner peace.  If, however, that peace is a measure of God’s image on my heart I must ask where is comes from.

I think that this is simple.  God impresses on me from the moment I choose to follow him that even when I do not understand what is going on, he is in control.  My ability to apply the peace that God impresses on me is directly related to my acceptance of his control.  If I truly believe that God is in control and knows what he is doing, then whatever comes my way I can be at peace about it.

If I am not at peace I need to check my focus.  A focus on Christ and his sovereignty allows me to walk through troubles and disappointments with knowledge that things are unfolding as they should.  Things may move in a way that I do not like or that are not to my preference.  This should not compromise my peace.  I can be content no matter what state I am in if I focus on the rule of Christ in all things.

The result of this peace is that others can see that my faith is genuine.  I can care about the circumstances but the circumstances do not control me.  It is the peace of Christ that assures me that no matter how bad things seem all we be as it should.  My Grandfather used to say, “Whatever is to be, will be, even if it don’t happen.”  He understood that Christ was at the center of all things and that we did not need to worry.   

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Imago Dei – In Christ Followers: Our Benchmark

Greetings Dear Reader,

In the not too distant pass when a craftsman made something he would want everyone to know he was the craftsman.  Each craftsman made his own benchmark to denote the item was truly his.  Over time this has come to be the way in which we determine the genuine nature of antiques.  For the buyer the benchmark is the sign that one has found the genuine article.  For the maker the benchmark is the symbol of pride that he has created this and then fashioned it with pride.

For those who follow Christ we are given a clear benchmark.  Jesus made it very clear that the image of God imprinted on was our love for each other.  This is how people are to know we are the genuine article.  This is how they are to see that we are truly the product of God’s love.  John 13:34-35 “I'm giving you a new commandment: Love each other in the same way that I have loved you. Everyone will know that you are my disciples because of your love for each other."  

Notice how specific Christ is about the depth of our love for each other.  We are to love each other “in the same way” that Christ loves us.  So to know what the benchmark looks like we must consider the ways in which Christ loves us.  His love is that kind that sacrifices, gives, is patient, kind, and temperate.  His love is not self-seeking.  It does not argue or assert its own needs over the needs of others.

A friend of mine made some very harsh remarks about Christians recently because of the inaction of some as regards things that are genuinely wrong.  Even inaction can dampen the ability of those who do not follow Christ to see him in us.  We must constantly be vigilant concerning our need to reflect that quality that God is crafting in us. 

From the love that Christ wishes to mark us with flows every other aspect of the Imago Dei in his followers.  If we do not proceed from this focal point we will not be able to show all others that we are his.  We will not be seen as genuine.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Imago Dei – In All Mankind: In Medias Res

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I reach the mid-point of my thinking on this issue I wonder about the “so what” of it all.  I began in the middle.  Starting at the begging would take a long time to get to the end.  The question that matters at this point is what I must address. What does it matter that we are created in and carry an echo of God’s image?  Literally billions of people do not believe the same things that I do.  There was an immature time in my journey toward God that I would have been both dismissive and disrespectful of this.  I do not know how to answer the obvious arrogance of my beliefs.  I do know that I believe them and that the only proper way to communicate them is through love and grace.

The Imago Dei in all of man matters because it is to that image that I must appeal.  It is to that spark that I must give my love, respect, and acceptance.  We all cloud that image with trappings that are our attempts to escape the responsibility for our obligation to seek out God.  We belong to God.  He created us and calls us back to himself.  He has put his image in us as a loadstone and compass all in one. 

It is our need and duty to seek God out.  I wish to transition the conversation on this to the idea that those of us who follow Christ also have a unique image of God to respond to in our journey.  The “so what” of all of this is that we are all on a journey to God whether we accept that our not.  In his love for us God gives us the opportunity to know him before we get there.  The map to God, the thing that draws us along the path, and the guide along the way are all provided by God for us.  All we need to do is read, respond, and follow.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Imago Dei – In All Mankind: Creativity

Greetings Dear Reader,

Probably every writer making a secondary world, a fantasy, every sub-creator, wishes in some measure to be a real maker, or hopes that he is drawing on reality: hopes that the peculiar quality of this secondary world (if not all the details) are derived from Reality, or are flowing into it. – On Fairy Stories – J.R.R. Tolkien

Each morning when I face the blank page of this blog I wonder for a moment if what I write will matter.  I wonder if those who fane to read my scribbling will walk away with benefit.  My desire to create is directly attached to my desire to reflect Christ. 

It is the image of God in us that pushes us to create.  It is that desire to create that has me up and writing in the wee hours of the morning.  My creations are imperfect.  My creations are still an attempt to embrace the Imago Dei.  Each of us has this drive.  We all wish to create in some way.

We seek to deny this aspect of God’s image in us by denying that we are created beings.  I wonder at times if the urge to explain away our existence as accidental is an urge to deny the image of God in us.  When we deny this we deny a fundamental part of our makeup. 

Why, if we possess the power to create entire worlds do we at times feel the need to deny our own creation?  Why do we use creativity to relegate the Creator to myth?  It is that call to create that tethers us to our Creator.  It is the need to invent that tells us we were invented.  Although this is the most subtle of the facets of the Imago Dei it may be one of the most powerful.  It is this facet that draws from within us the image of God that procreates beauty.

We find in our creativity the very essence of bringing forth things that are new and things that revitalize the old.  We carry in us an urge to make because we have a Maker.  In that urge is a keystone to finding that Maker if we will seek him honestly.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Imago Dei – In All Mankind: Perfection

Greetings Dear Reader,

There are times when I have been called a perfectionist.  Most of those times, however, I was just being overbearing and demanding.  It does bring to mind the idea that we can perfect anything.  I have worked at my barbeque sauce recipe for years and it is almost “perfect.”  I go over and over my writing until I feel I have perfected it.

As a species we are always in pursuit of the perfect day, weekend, or vacation.  We look for the perfect dish, the perfect outfit, and even the perfect mate.  We have a sense of perfection even though we live in a completely imperfect world. 

It is our sense that things can be perfect that is the Imago Dei in us.  We know that things can be better.  We know that things can be improved.  We pursue perfection because we desire it.  We know intrinsically that we are not perfect.  We know that we can be better than we are at everything.

In the essence of this knowing is the truth that we imperfect and that God is perfect.  We rationalize our way away from it for our own purposes and to justify some of our imperfections.  I am imperfect and my sense of perfection is one of the ways that God draws me toward him. 

It is imagined perfection that becomes the image of God in us.  We wish to attain something that only he possesses.  As we journey toward him he can perfect us but we cannot be perfect or perfected without him.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Imago Dei – In All Mankind: Justice

Greetings Dear Reader,

I think that one of the most contradictory things in my nature is my sense of justice.  When I am on about something I can demand justice.  When I feel compassionate I can overlook many things for the purpose of mercy.  I can also be very unjust and selfish.  It is my thinking on this inconsistency that causes me to reflect on the idea of God’s justice.

God is always just.  He balance’s his love and justice and mercy and grace perfectly.  What I must do is the same.  It is my duty to seek justice as God would seek it.  My sense of justice comes from God’s image in me.  When I deny it I am denying God.  A few days ago when I wrote about truth I mentioned Superman and Captain America.  They are fictional but the second cornerstone of their dedication is justice. 

When write books, make films, and constantly pursue justice.  It is also something we deny God.  We do not wish him to be just as much as we wish him to be loving.  We want a God that loves us but ignores justice.  I we did this with our children it would produce over indulged selfishness.  My Sons have an excellent sense of justice.  I tried to balance both love and justice in them even though I was not always the best example.

In measuring the image of God within me I must realize that God is just and in that justice he is honorable and good.  I cannot wish for God to love me and reject that he must also be just with me.  It is in the balance of these two things that I find Christ and him crucified for my injustices toward God.  Were there not justice the cross would not be necessary.  Where there no cross the love of God could not circumvent the justice of God to reach us.

It is our innate sense of justice that leads me to realize my injustices and to the conclusion that I need something beyond me to make the journey to God.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Imago Dei – In All Mankind: Love

Greetings Dear Reader,

I find this such a simple thing.  We can anthropomorphize the rest of the creatures on our planet as much as we wish but love is unique to man.  Pets may be loyal and good to us but the relationship is conditional.  The desire to love and be loved abides in us all from birth.  This proceeds from God’s love for us and his desire for us to love him. 

It is of note that this is not physical or simply emotional love.  This is the love that reaches beyond self and unconditionally sees the beauty and value of others.  Love of this caliber seeks the greater good for others.  It puts the interests of others first.

We have this yearning to give and receive love because God loves us so deeply.  It may be that all proceeds from this place in us but without acknowledging God in the midst of it we lose focus on it.

I know I have done so many things to try and fill the void that only this kind of love can fill.  Anything else is false and does not work.  Everything about our image of God and his image within us can be answered by his love for us.  He is just, righteous, good, and holy but it is all communicated to us through his love for us.

So many things that happen are couched in the question “How could a loving God allow…?”  We question God’s love for us when things go wrong or are not as we think they should be but we are incensed when our love is questioned because of wrongs we do.  We question the love of God and yet he has imprinted us with the capacity to love so that he can draw us toward him. 

It is this love that pushes us to seek.  It is the hollow place that only love can fill that drives us toward others.  No matter what I use to falsely fill the void it remains empty until I fill it with the love that God holds for me.   

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Imago Dei – In All Mankind: Truth

Greetings Dear Reader,

In my journey toward a deeper understanding of the image of God inside me I must understand what qualities are innately human that contradict the human condition.  One of the things that extends from our innate morality is our value of the truth.  Even though we will justify lying for particular reasons, we as a society value truth.  Our comic heroes, specifically Superman and Captain America were known for their focus on truth as an equal part to justice.

Dishonesty seems to always damage someone even if it is the individual who is dishonest.  We hold out the truth as a value that is expected between people and in businesses.  Even when we are hypocritical with our own honesty we demand the truth from others.  No matter how dishonest we are there is something in us that is drawn to the truth.  It perplexes me how often I let my own imperfections, hurts, and passions get in the way of honestly seeking the truth.

There are those who say one cannot know absolute truth.  There are also those who deny that absolute truth even exits.  It would be long and arduous to entertain a discussion on this but it is worth discussing at some point.  Today my focus is on that part of us that yearns for truth; that something inside us that values truth even in the denial of its intrinsic value.

I know that when I am sure someone has lied to me that I want the truth.  I know that there are things about God that I yearn to know the truth about.  I know that others have offered me false answers that have led me to errors in judgment and action.  When I embrace the truth, no matter how painful, there is freedom. 

When Jesus claimed to be the truth he was stating that he was “what is true in any matter under consideration.” (Thayer)  We can ponder and postulate all we wish about what is true and what is not.  We can compartmentalize God or build false theologies based on our own greed or need.  The only thing that leads us to truth is honest pursuit of it.

We know that there is truth.  I think that God creates the innate desire for it in us so that we will seek him.  There are so many lies out there designed to draw us away from the truth that is Christ.  Even those claiming to follow Christ sometimes propagate lies in order to gain power and a following.  Unfortunately their actions cloud the truth about who God is.  God wishes for us to know the truth but he also wants us to have faith.  He wishes for us to seek him in truth.  Ironically we only find him when we lay aside our anger, selfishness, and preconceptions and seek him honestly.   

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Imago Dei – In All Mankind: Innate Morality

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I move through my thinking about the image of God in all of us, I ponder one of the things that I have never been truly able to fathom to my own satisfaction.  We possess an innate morality.  We are born with a sense of right and wrong.  There is a rising body of research that can prove this, but if I am honest with my own heart I know that I know. 

I will not argue the existence of this moral compass but if it exists it points toward something other than us initiating it.  God has a complete ownership of right.  He imprints this on us so that we can see the places where we lack it.  He has instilled in me a moral compass that rarely steers me wrong if I listen to it. 

When I choose not to obey that ethereal pointer I regret it.  It leaves me without excuse for the things I do that I know better.  Whenever I have violated my moral load stone if has hurt others and caused pain.  When I listen to its direction things go well.

I realize that this is only experiential evidence but it is my evidence.  I cannot determine what is right and wrong for others but there is a baseline of what is right and wrong.  It comes from somewhere other than the collective agreement of society.  We can attempt to reason away the image of God in our morality but there is no logical reason for it if it is not imprinted on us by the manufacturer.  It is our desire to not be accountable to it that drives us to discredit it.

My moral compass shows me my need for God.  It reassures me that I am not perfect and that I have flaws.  It shows me when I am selfish and when I put my needs ahead of others.  The fact that I know I am a crooked stick in a bundle of crooked sticks is what shows me my need for God and his righteousness. 

Some say one cannot know where this sense of morality comes from.  Some claim to even be happy no knowing.  I think that this aspect of the Imago Dei is valid evidence that something beyond ourselves draws us toward his nature.  He wants us to see that we are broken and the he wishes to heal us.  It is our brokenness that pushes us to deny him and ignore the call. 

The compass is a pointer.  It is a pointer that tells me where I need to be headed.  When I feel incapable of heading that way on my own it also points me toward the source of direction and strength to get there.  Sometimes I reject the direction for my own purposes. 

When I embrace this image in me I can tell in which direction to head.  I can also tell because it pushes me to do the opposite of the selfish and self-centered.  I am created in the image of God. I am intended to reflect that image and my innate morality is intended to show me how to get there.  If followed it points me toward the only true north; Christ. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

The Imago Dei – In All Mankind: The Soul

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I celebrate All Saints Day I will address a subject more appropriate for All Souls Day.  In pondering the Imago Dei, the Image of God in all of us I think about the human soul.  There is something that sets us apart from the collective creation.  If I do not recognize this thing in my nature then I need not consider anything beyond my own desires and wants.

In creating me God has planted in me something of himself.  He has given me something that only he possesses independently.  In giving me a soul God states that a part of me will go on forever.  The eternal God puts a bit of the eternal in me.  This is what he will eventually reclaim.  This is what will survive to be returned to God once the mortal coil is spent.

In that part of God’s image is where the significance for the rest of it hangs.  It is that part of me that I must manage and nurture to be like Christ.  In my soul resides the understanding of God.  It calls to him for it is his.  What little I know of God is housed in the soul.  Any discussion of the Imago Dei must begin with that part this is most like him.

It is my soul that responds when God calls.  It is my soul that carries the things that draw me to him.  It is the soul that so vividly animates my conscience.  It is in this ethereal that I get my perspective on the material world.  It is here that I am tethered to the eternal.

I do not think that our storybook view of the future with God is accurate.  I do believe that what I do here influences my eternal relationship.  I believe that I can deny and damage the image within me.  I have lease over what I do about this tether to God but it is only that; a lease.  It will expire.  I will not always have a choice of how I relate to the Imago Dei.  I will be called to account for what I have done with that which was given me.

So as I ponder this aspect of the journey I begin with the end in mind.  What will I present when the Dei examines my use of his Imago?  Will I be what he has called me to be?  Will I use well the gifts given me and present something worthy?  It is in hope of doing all this that I ponder what I am given with gratitude.  Journey with me if you wish and perhaps share your thoughts with me.

 Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."