The Offense That Heals the World

Wow! What a shot!

...and some very nice insightfullness also!

The flower shot is absolutely stunning.

The quote is so wonderful I have copied it and will send it to our minister. It says so much.

Your entry is a riot. Yes, you must speak up when you feel people around you are being small and prejudice. It takes guts to speak up and you take risks of losing friends and irritating family. BUT............to be silent is to agree.

I figured you'd get a kick out of it!

:)

Love ~ susan

good thoughts...thoughts i will keep in mind...

and this pic...well, it just took my breath away!!!

Hi there - gorgeous photos - I visit almost daily - thank you! When I read the title to your post today, my first thought was, "Ah, yes - the cross". But perhaps that is not what you meant. :-)

Ali,

I love your comment and I think you should have a blog of your own, so I could visit you. Your idea turns the feeling of offense on it's ear. The example of Jesus' death certainly fits into my thought process here. It might not be completely evident, but I do hold the beauty and wisdom and symbolism of the sacrifice of the cross in my heart. For me, I think it's even more effective to think of Jesus' sacrifice as an example, if one so touched by grace and so enlightened could turn the cheek the way he did, then certainly in the small things, so can I.

Lovely comment, sincerely, I appreciate your thought here.

:)

That was a breathtaking shot Susan. Great job.

I agree with that quote. I do not believe truth is relative. For the sake of truth, we should challenge thoughts; not people, but thoughts. And we should make an effort to find out if the basis for what we belief is strong enough.

Like you, if it was not for my annoying mom, I would not have discovered the beauty and logic of Christianity. I was brought up a nominal Buddhist in a nation where Islam is the state religion. I then spent my working life in a neighboring country where Buddhist are the majority.

We are usually quite content living in our comfort zone, believing whatever that has been passed on. It's almost like tradition. It never occur to us to question what we believe because we don't see the need to. Then we wake-up one day, if we ever wake-up, with a huge ?. For me, the waking moment was when life drove me to a corner and I find myself suddenly open to suggestions and ideas that are new to me. It's always more refreshing to investigate and discover new ideas than to rediscover the old. And like they say, the grass always seems to be greener the other side. Some of us abandon our old beliefs because we are genuinely disappointed with it, some just want something new because we assume we know all there is to know about the the current one and find it wanting. We don't bother to investigate if we have misunderstood it. Until I discovered Christianity, I did not have the desire or saw the need to reflect on my previous belief system. Christianity opened my eyes to the importance of what and where I put my faith in. It showed me there are very real consequences for believing in the wrong thing. It help me think. That's when I decide to learn more about my previous beliefs. So I actually know more about Buddhism when I'm a Christian than when I was a Buddhist. It's funny how things work out but it happens all the time. I bet it's the same for you too. I am not saying I'm an expert now. Far from it. But based on what I discovered so far, nothing explains and matches with reality and logic as well as Christianity does. Neither have I found any other better alternatives to that which Christ has to offer. With Christ, I feel my spirit at rest...as if it has found it's home. It's still a wonderfully strange feeling even now, after 7 years. Yes, even when life is chaotic and doesn't seem to make sense, I feel that rest. I can't explain it but I suspect you know.

All of us are on a journey. With so many options available, it's little wonder why we are confused. We can't be 100% sure but that doesn't mean we can't be more sure of one than the other. We have been given the ability to think and investigate. If we have found bread for our soul, it's only right that we tell others where to find it because mostly likely there are others who are hungry.

I've also written something related to this in my post - Everybody needs Jesus? Maybe Not and God and Us- if you're interested.

http://theragamuffinkid.blogspot.com/2006/09/everybody-needs-jesus-maybe-not.html

http://theragamuffinkid.blogspot.com/2005/07/god-and-us.html

:-))

It's what I love most about your blog Susan... that fearless way you can just put it out there so honestly. I've yet to evolve to that degree, but people like you inspire me to keep reaching for my truth. Reaching and someday being comfortable owning it. In the South especially, polite superficiality sadly reigns in many of it's women.

I like to think nothing is all bad or all good, you are not all fascist...
Your photos steal my heart!

A great read once more!! Keep up the good work!!