Transformative Faith
Mountains · Towers · Overcoming
We ascend towards heaven Not by building towers But by climbing mountains.
Pyramids and their ilk Are built by slaves. Moses went alone. Meeting God on the mountain top In a cloud of glory Hidden from ordinary sight. He was transformed. Towers Are signs of dominance Built at great expense Reaching towards “the heavens”… Always reaching Never ascending. Mountains Are simply there Drawing us By their Presence Beckoning us to overcome … Not them — not the mountain! There is no overcoming, No “conquering” the mountain … No overcoming The still, grey, hidden Rock There in eternity, Long before us. Long after us. Unmoved by us. Never overcome by us. It is we, ourselves, that must be overcome. Facing within the inexorable fears the gnawing anxiety Until ready to embrace the earthy grit and soil that comes From putting ourselves In the way of Something So Demanding That we go out of our way To avoid it. Yielding instead To the grimness of sterilising inertia, of Always Doing Something Else, Rather than countenancing A pathway towards greatness.
“Greatness, you say?” … nay-saying, gainsaying head, shaking, solemnly, side to side … “Only a few achieve greatness. … Only a very few may expect to achieve any measure of greatness…”
Ah — but you are measuring “Towers”! Overpowering Over-standing “Towering greatness” Feigning heavenly status. Ever-rising above the reach of Ordinary mortals. “Towers” built with the labour and ingenuity of others. Taking credit — glory — For what others accomplished, provided, contributed. That is no true “greatness.” Only posturing exhibitionism. Vain glory.
The greatness of which I speak
Of which I am moved to write
Is the greatness
Of transformative, overcoming faith
Of knowing, believing,
Daring to trust that …
Change is possible.
Real change
Lasting change.
Stronghold-breaking
Never-be-the -same-again
Functionally-liberating
Kingdom-of-heaven,
Coming to earth …
Kind of Change.
Faith, belief, confidence Abundant confidence That everything need not be: The same Tomorrow As it is Today. Was Yesterday. Will be. Evermore. “Saints be praised." That is the Unchanging, Unchangeable belief of Creeds Hagiography Ideology Traditions Temples Cathedrals Parliaments Museums Monuments … “Towers” Dominating Intimidating Manipulating Bewitching Our timid souls Instructing us how to think. That is not the greatness of which I write or think … That moves me. Inspires me. In-spirits me. The greatness that lives, Stretching my imagination, as I write this ode, Is of earthy, transformative faith, Expressed in extraordinary actions, Amidst the mundane and ordinary. Creating Worth — a Future worth inhabiting by others a Future that would not arise If we in-spirited ones do not Arise To create a world worthy of our Sacrifice. A Legacy Not of bricks, hewn rock, steel, concrete and techno-wizardry, dictating to our souls, How We Must Live. ((Not that kind of future. That’s “Not Our Future.”)) A legacy of Love. A future formed by Transformational, Sacrificial, Self-giving, Self-emptying love. For Something, Someone, other than ourselves.
Love that Creates Propagates (not propagandises) Transforms (not imposes) Love Which lives vibrantly, warmly, un-begrudgingly, Amidst domesticity … mediocrity … mundanity Never yielding Wholly to any one. Faith planted in the rock and soil of Ordinary Never denying, never decrying Never despising what is essentially mundane. Yet never limited by it. Extra-ordinary. Beyond ordinary. That is the nature of the Mountain Rising out of the Plain Out of the valley of despondency, Out of the valley of “death” — of slow, strangulated death of hopes, dreams, ideals once cherished now faded, jaded, evaporated, degraded — Veils of tears, pain, loss, distress, bitterness, confusion … Vales through which we must pass, over and over, To arrive at the foot of the Mountain, Now, finally, readied for ascent. Of what Mountain do I speak, write?
That Which Stands In Your Way.
Beckoning to you: “This is the Way. Walk in it. Walk upon it. Ascend it. Overcome.” { ~ the Mountain is the Way; never the obstacle ~ } Overcome Resistance to Challenge. Resistance to What is Not Ordinary. Passivity towards Remaining the Same. Overcome Openness … to being defeated … to embracing the ease of “giving up” … to enviable distractions … to leaving 'it' to Someone Else. Overcome. Ascend the Mountain. See it Feel it Hear it’s call to you: Here is the pathway to Heaven. Ascend the Mountain One step at a time One moment at a time. One breath-taking, willpower-draining step, after another Across each false summit, Beyond, to the next. Until the peak is passed and descent begins, imperceptibly, indubitably. Back to veils and vales below. This is how we touch Heaven.
Not through towers
'God knows' : especially not through ivory towers
Vainglorious edifices,
Built on the sacrifice of others.
Towers that dictate:
“How It Shall Be.”
Puffed-up, pompous Towers
Shouting at one another:
”Here is my glory; where is yours?
How does it compare
To mine?”
Comparing…
Competing…
… for height
… for glory
… for “greatness”
Belittling others
Taking space from others
Dis-grace-ing others
Amassing wealth
Taken from others
Creating wealth
That glories in its own splendour.
God is not there.
We ascend to heaven Not by building towers But by climbing mountains.
'Mountains' … Of trouble, suffering, responsibility Ascended with sacrificial love. There, We touch God Are touched by God In return. There, We are transformed. We return. Transformed. ~~~ Believe. Trust. Ascend. Glory. Descend Transformed. ~~~ Overcomer.
Very good. We need to become the hero our own story.
Great stuff. Reminds me of Taoist poetry in its simplicity. Some lines ring like bells.