Posted by john on October 12, 2001 at 23:01:01:
In Reply to: Durability, healing, value posted by giveawayboy on October 12, 2001 at 22:51:13:
: : I'm in Kings X mode too. I get to see my old friend Doug tonight. It's hard to believe he's 50 now and I'm 46; we've been friends 24 years. Yikes! But many years, long distances, long separations, crises of faith, moral dilemmas, and even rejection by the church hasn't damaged our friendship.
: This is beautiful!
: : I talked to Suze M. last night for about an hour on the phone, and it was the best thing that happened all day. I really love her and I can't fully explain why (or maybe I just don't want to dull the magic by trying). But I feel like John Lee so beautifully expressed (with tears): "When I heard her singing, something inside of me was healed."
: Amen!
: : Friendship heals. God uses friendship to recreate and restore something in us that would languish and die otherwise. At times it must be healed first, but afterwards it bears an incredible and mysterious power to heal everything else it touches.
: Yes, this reminds me of Kaoru in NEON GENESIS EVANGELLION.
: : Bill wrote a post a few days ago that talked about me. I read his kind words with a sort of cautious disbelief. Someone inside me believed the things I read about myself....
: Good! Because those things are true, Steve.
: : Friendship validates and embraces all that is good and beautiful and true in a friend. Friendship is the ultimate stain-remover. Friendship appraises the dirty, cracked artifact and values it a priceless treasure. Friendship sees through to the image of God in the creature, and like God, says that "it is good."
: These words are amazing! Thanks for writing them. I have always loved this revelation you have of friendship. It has really helped me to know that. It changes the way I look at myself and others. I have been able to love myself more knowing how I am appraised by others.
: Bill
: P.S. I don't know why but I want to share this with you all. There is a stinky, dirty, homeless guy who wanders near where I work. We call him 'the shuffler' since he shuffles when he walks. One day I just started calling him God. Whenever I see him I just think that Jesus is hidden in there. He is ever so gentle dwelling among us in the least likely places. Everytime I see him I just see God. He used to never talk to me. Now he says Hello! He speaks perfect English when he DOES talk.
Wow, not talking. Now that is a foreign concept to me. I guess maybe not...I don't really talk much in a situation where I am uncomfortable. But usually I have no shortage of opinions or comments on anything. I wonder what it must be like to spend a good period of time without talking. Especially if you were interacting with others in a situation where they didn't require you to speak. I wonder how much communication would develop without words... and how much we would realize what we say often doesn't need to be said. Maybe your homeless man knows this. It seems to me only one step removed from realizing that what we do often isn't as important as we view it as well.
...It's a humbling way of thinking, especially for someone like me who has an answer for everything.