The Unwanted Ones ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

We all engage in casting others aside unless we intentionally work to avoid it.  We use standards and social constructs to categorize and label others.  We set up our peer groups and make ourselves comfortable with the avoidance we create. 

There is no such thing as someone unworthy of love in the eyes of the Father.  Every soul has value equal to the life of his Son, Jesus.  Not only does the Father treat us this way, but he insists that we treat each other with the same love and deference.  He demands that we identify with him in loving every life and seeing its worth.

We all need to know that we are loved whether we acknowledge it or not.  The life we live will make us appealing or not so to those we encounter.  We will look for those who love us and sometimes find them.  After all this thinking and searching I begin to understand that it is not seeking to be loved that gets us there.  It is seeking first to love others clearly, honestly, and without reservation.  It is recklessly choosing to love every human no matter how he or she accepts it.

The only way to accomplish this is to find it in Christ and follow him closely.  I must seek his love in every moment and work to reflect it in that same instant.  There are no outcasts when it comes to the love of the Father.  When I create an outcast, I am, therefore, stepping outside of that same love.  This is why I say without reservation, I love you, Dear Reader.

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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The Unwanted Ones ~ Iceberg Intellect

Greetings Dear Reader,

For fifteen years someone has been asking me to be real about my struggles at the deepest levels.  Over that time there have been constant reassurances that no matter what it was, there would be love and understanding.  As I confront this deep darkness, at last, I chose to trust that this person was telling the truth.  He was not. 

We think that we know what is going on with others.  What we see on the outside, or even what they show is beneath the surface, is rarely the whole story.  We find that we just do not know what really is going on below.  We still, however, engage in the iceberg intellect of judging others based on the little we see.

Our judgment of others becomes rejection based on surface standards or worse, limited understanding of what is just below the surface.  We are, however, appalled when others do this to us.  We know that they do not really understand.  Even when we ask for understanding without seeking to justify our failures, we are given little by most.

My obligation is to clench the opportunity to love others no matter how things unfold in our lives.  No matter what you do, think, believe, or embrace, my limited understanding is not grounds for rejecting you.  My meager perspective is not God’s and he demands that I love you at any cost.  Until we embrace that we do not know as much as we think we do, we will fall into the trap of thinking our judgment is accurate.

We may find things to justify marginalizing someone or make him or her an outcast.  Instead what we are doing is sending the message loud and clear that this is how we would have others treat us.  None of us wishes this, so how can we dare visit it on others Dear Reader?  I must be good to you no matter what you do to me.  I must work beyond my failures and faults to do better today.   I must also work within that to realize that you at times will not choose this.  In that too, I must look for deeper ways to love you.  That is the pathway home.

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon           

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

The Unwanted Ones ~ Lifestyle Choices

Greetings Dear Reader,

Recalling the hard-deck we are required to walk is necessary to our discussion this morning.  Ponder with me this thought:  Whatever lifestyle choices an individual makes, we are required to love him or her actively.  We are required to show him or her real love in Christ.

Now, what exceptions surface in your mind?  What if he or she is a Tennessee fan?  The person might like Dub Step.   He or she may put pineapple on pizza.  I am being lighthearted on purpose but you get the idea.   We dismiss living souls from receiving our love based on the choices they make for their human lives.  More seriously, we divide over political and social life choices.  We withhold the love of Christ from people who do not line up with our view of how the world should be.

The cries in social media become demands that if you disagree with me, we cannot be friends.  Dividing over politics and social issues becomes our goal and habit.  We eliminate those who disagree with us instead of working to show love and compassion to every soul.  There is no social or political issue that allows us to deny love and kindness to others. 

Consider this thought, name a single social or political issue that would have Jesus saying, “I hate that human.”   Do not think that there are some of our own actions and attitudes that are contrary to who Christ is and asks us to become.  That is never the point.  The idea is that he loves us beyond those cracks and fissures to the souls that he sees.  Our obligation is to do the same. 

We ought to be able to see every soul as precious and priceless.  The memes of “If you do this…we cannot be friends” sadly mask an attitude that we adopt in some situations.  I am not allowed to make anyone an outcast because of his or her political or social choices.  If I have any hope of following Christ, I must set aside my personal preferences, no matter how right I think I am.  I must instead embrace the idea that if I wish for others to be loving in those choices, I must first love them.  That common ground Dear Reader is where we can meet and walk together to work out our differences.

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon           

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

The Unwanted Ones ~ Social Dexterity

Greetings Dear Reader,

We all know that person; the one is guaranteed to be embarrassing or uncomfortable in social situations.  It may be their personality, habits, or appearance.  It is just that he or she is socially awkward.  We somehow do not include them in things that would make others feel uncomfortable.

I supposed the first thing to consider is if we would be comfortable with Jesus at our social gatherings.  I think if we are honest, we would not.  If someone brings him along and we do not know who he is, I think his manner and approach would make us uncomfortable.  I also believe that he would gravitate to the outcasts.  He would question our standards if we fail to love anyone and he would be right.

Although it is the right standard, there is a much simpler standard for this than invoking the Son of God.  It is this: is finding someone socially awkward a good reason to exclude him or her?  It does not show love, kindness, or compassion.  It does not recognize that each human is created by God and has intrinsic value.  When we show love to those cast out by others, then we are being with Christ in the moment.

I have too many foibles to think that I am not socially awkward at times.  I am uncomfortable for others in social settings at times.  In some ways, I have embraced that awkwardness so that I am being true to who I am.  It has also allowed me to draw others who are outcasts to me.  I want to show everyone love, kindness, and acceptance.  I fail at times, but it is an exercise worth repeating Dear Reader.

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon           

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/  

The Unwanted Ones ~ Fashion Failure

Greetings Dear Reader,

Even when we do not wish to do so we pass some judgment based on outward appearance.  When someone looks out of place, we respond to it.  Our obligation is to respond in love and acceptance.  Our pattern seems to be that we categorize and analyze people based on their appearance.

Media, marketing, and manners all drive us to dress or look a certain way.  Entire segments of the church demand that men and women dress in certain ways just to be acceptable.  Hair length, makeup, and apparel all are subjects of discussion and judgment.  Beyond that, we even subdivide over what fashions or fads are in season.

Having grown up in the South, there were rules about what apparel one could wear when.  No white after Labor Day was allowed.  There were proper suits for summer and no other time.   The dictates were unspoken until you violated them.  The specters of those foolish rules, designed to create outcasts, still linger among the live oaks and Spanish Moss.  We still judge others by appearance in most segments of our culture instead of leading with love.

The point is that what someone wears or how one appears has nothing to do with our obligation to show love and acceptance to every soul.  Keep in mind that this applies to those who are captured by fashion and pay too much attention to it.  I must see what is created in each person that the Father finds delightful.   If I am engaged in searching for that, I will not be distracted by whatever surface thing tries to keep me from seeing it.  It is up to us to see that every human is worth loving no matter how he or she appears Dear Reader.  Tomorrow we will make this even more difficult and vital.

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon           

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

The Unwanted Ones ~ Painful Platitudes

Greetings Dear Reader,

To my way of thinking there are two kinds of people who give hugs.  There are people who actually give hugs and there are people who take hugs. The former is someone attempting to show genuine love and affection to another human.  The latter is someone taking what is offered without truly giving the same in return.

This may seem little but it is not.  We all know when the hug we receive is forced or disingenuous.  We all know that person who gives all the verbal and facial signals to being thrilled to see us and then the hug is cold, stiff, and distant.  Unfortunately, the painful platitudes of loving others go far beyond this.

We claim that if we follow Christ that we love everyone.  This no sooner escapes us than we are listing exceptions or worse, showing them.  We put into place the standards by which we are willing to show love to others.  We limit our love to the ones who do not offend our preferences and social standards. 

When we withhold ourselves from loving from the heart in every interaction, we cheat both the other person and ourselves.  We burn away an opportunity to engage with someone who may rarely get genuine demonstrations of unconditional love.  I think, Dear Reader, that we need to resolve that we are going to love others at any cost.  Further, we must be committed to demonstrating it without considering our own preferences.

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon           

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

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The Unwanted Ones ~ Silent Signals

Greetings Dear Reader,

We can all do this and we think that we are subtle about it.  Someone we do not wish to speak with engages us we wish to withdraw from the conversation.  We feign interest and search for a way to escape.  Searchin the room for another conversation is one method.  Looking away or at the time in another.  We might even make up a lie about being busy to get away.

It is not lost on the person that our attention is not on their interaction.  Sometimes the person is gracious and lets us withdraw.  Then there is the time when the engagement is important to him or her and it persists.  We find a way to escape.  We may not say a word to anyone.  We might also make a negative comment to someone that we had to get away from a conversation with “that person.”

When we think this way, we are ignoring some very basic principles of following Christ.  Every person in our path must receive my love and kindness during my interaction with him or her.  I must also consider that if Christ is directing my steps that this person is in my path for a purpose.  If I am focused on my own desires and considerations, I may not see that purpose. 

I must also consider that I cannot afford to dismiss anyone.  Every human has value and I can find a way to show love if I choose to do so.  When I find that I want to not engage, I should look for the way to show the love of Christ in the moment.  I must seek to put him in the midst of the interaction so that I am following in faith versus harming someone who seeks me out.  If I treat someone as unwanted in a simple conversation, how can I hope to create a lifetime of following Christ in love, Dear Reader?

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon           

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

The Unwanted Ones ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

If we ponder the high school years the recognition is easy.  We either know who the outcasts were or we were the outcasts.  We did not fit in the cliques.  There was something inherently “wrong” with us and it marked us.

As adults, we should be beyond this but we are not.  We still all know someone who is on the fringe.  We know the ones that we like but do not really let them into our circle.  We know the ones who do not fit our understanding of social belonging.  What we do not discuss is the level at which these things are our own constructs and have little to do with following Christ.

I know that there are ways in which I am patently unrewarding.  This has always been true.  I must, therefore, hone my acceptance of everyone for who he or she is.  I must love people where I encounter them.  Join for a deeper look into things that do not matter but that we use to justify not showing love to others.  My heart is to eliminate them.  Your thoughts and questions always help with this.

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon           

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/