Dale Cresap's blog

You can take it as a matter of doctrine that you are created in my image and that this applies to everyone. Is this just a propositional truth claim for you, or a living reality? When you look at other people, even the least of these, do you see their infinite worth? Do you see it in yourself as well? You have been told that you are sinful, and you see the evidence to support this. Do you also see that you are beloved; that your infinite worth is intrinsic and inalienable? Do you behave as if this is true?

Are you a loud listener? Do these concepts seem contradictory, so that this phrase is an oxymoron? Have you ever had anyone listen to you in a way that was passive and unresponsive, so you weren’t convinced that they were engaged in the conversation? Did this discourage you from sharing more? Have you also had someone respond with obvious engagement and enthusiasm, giving an emotional reaction to the points you make? Did this serve to validate your story? Did it make you want to go on? Are you prepared to do for others what provided a positive experience for you?

Have you heard that hurt people hurt people? This is a gracious way to explain the bad behavior of others. If they are victims it can normalize pathology within them and they pass on to others what they have received themselves, never knowing anything else. This may explain why they do what they do, but does it make it any less painful to be hurt by them? There is a positive counterpart to this situation. Healed people heal others. Do you know that you need healing and desire it and seek it for your own benefit? Desire it and seek it for the benefit it will bring to others as well.

I said that my sheep would hear my voice. This is a promise to those who follow me, but I can speak to anyone I want. What does my voice sound like to you? Does it come to you as thoughts of guilt and shame; judgment and condemnation? Have you ever heard voices like that or had thoughts like that? This is a common experience, but those are not from me. I speak in a still small voice, so you can expect my words to be subtle and gentle. You want to know my will and do it. Are you prepared to receive direction in the form of hints and suggestions?

Are you worthy? Worthy of what? The concept of worthiness is associated with good conduct and character. It is something attained by some and by implication, not by others. It is considered to be an achievement and something deserved by effort and intention. But you consider human worth to be intrinsic, equal for everyone and unearned on the basis of the sanctity of life created in my image. But worthiness and worth are the same concept because they are the same word. So which of these is the valid definition? Is worth earned or given?

Have you ever rejected an apology? Have you ever accepted an apology that you never received? Forgiveness is a central theme of your faith and you know that the forgiveness you receive is related to the forgiveness you give. But what if the forgiveness you are prepared to give is not sought? Does this put you in a pickle? You can complete your part of the transaction even if the other party does not. You can decline to take the offenses that are offered, and you can go beyond the assent of forgiveness to release claims of justice against those who have hurt you.

Have you ever gone on a trip and taken pictures and shared them with your friends back home and realized that the pictures didn’t do justice to the experience? Have you had the same thing happen in a spiritual sense, that you couldn’t adequately describe your experience with God? Paul was taken up into heaven and said he saw things that were not lawful to speak. Perhaps this could also be translated as things that were impossible to describe. Have you ever been at a loss for words? Is it desirable for your experience to run ahead of your comprehension or not?

Have you ever heard of being put in your place, or of people who didn’t know their place? These are not complimentary statements and they imply that people have a proper station in life and if they act in a way that is beyond their station then it is appropriate to correct them and remind them of where they belong. Is there a positive way to view this? Isn’t everyone looking for a place where they belong, and finding your place in life is a part of your search for your identity. Can you find this by yourself?

Have you ever opened up to a friend in vulnerable exposure? What happened next? The response to such an action is a measure of the depth and maturity of the friendship. The concept of exposure is real. You take a risk of a bad reaction that will make you regret taking the chance. Yet you need healing or you wouldn’t have taken the risk, and sharing your story offers a loving friend to be a part of the healing process. You need to know that you are not alone, that others have struggled too, and that they are there for you. Are you able to do this for others who confide in you?

Do you have weaknesses that you would describe as faults rather than sins? Do you make every effort to hide and deny them even from yourself? Are you afraid that if you admit them they will become a part of your identity? Do you understand that you already have an identity that doesn’t consist of your flaws? The former position is one of insecurity and hustling for worth. The latter is one of radical acceptance. It provides a secure identity from which you can acknowledge all the aspects of your being and know the truth and be free.