… heart..squeezing…. lungs feel funny… brain melting…can’t…handle…this…much…beauty.

Anyway. Great mini-interview from my favorite composer and a sneak peak of one of his new pieces.

this is entirely personal, so i’m not representing christianity at large or—oh for goodness’ sake, just say what i want to say:

i get uncomfortable/upset with people who claim to have all the answers about how to live and how to “make it” to happiness/fulfillment in a very specific way because i think we should be acknowledging and embracing diversity as beautiful and healthy and holy. i mean, look at nature: biodiversity is CRUCIAL for survival and our food sources are getting totally screwed up because it all comes from a very genetically narrow (not to mention artificially modified) base that becomes less and less nutritious and fortifying with every crop rotation and breeding season. similarly, we become more and more divided from each other and from ourselves every time we put up a wall because we can’t love “the other.” THERE IS NO OTHER! we are all the body and the cancer and disease comes from dualistic, exclusive mindsets, not from parts of the body.

(besides Tumblr, because that’s a given)

• “Caring For Your Introvert” article (again)
• INFJ TypeLogic profile
• INTJ TypeLogic profile
• Postcrossing
• fascinating article on the differences between Eastern Orthodox and Western Orthodox (Roman Catholic and Protestant) translations of the Bible, specifically the of Hebrew words for “Sheol,” “Heaven,” “grave,” “pit,” “fires of gehennom,” etc. all mistranslated to “Hell/hellfire” in all Western translations since the Great Schism in 1054. Eastern Orthodoxy understands “Heaven” and “Hell” as spiritual states of mind within an individual, while Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Christianity understands “Heaven” and “Hell” to be physical places outside of the earthly realm Which has has a hell of a lot of implications (see what I did there?) for how mainstream Western Christianity operates and has never made sense to me because if Christians truly believe that God is the entirety of existence and that we are saved by grace and love, how could there be a “hell” that is void of Him and why would He put his beloved there? And now I’m connecting that with all stuff I learned and read and talked about in my agrarian philosophy class last year about dualism and the Enlightenment Period and how we are spiritually sick in our division from Creation and any real connection to God… to be elaborated on later… maybe.
  
• Pinterest

good grief

You’re right… But just be glad you live in a country where you will not be shot or thrown in prison for stating that. America has had its problems. Its to bad you were not in charge in those times so that you could have done the right thing.

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- Dennis Covington, Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia

This paragraph reached out and slapped me in the face, and I’m not sure how I should react.

poppylife:

May God bless you with a restless discomfort 
about easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships,
so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.

May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression,
and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for
justice, freedom, and peace among all people.

May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer
from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that
you really CAN make a difference in this world, so that you are able,
with God’s grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator,
Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word who is our brother and Saviour,
and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, be with you
and remain with you, this day and forevermore.

AMEN.

(via hajna)