Dale Cresap's blog

Do you think there is such a thing as holy ground? You could make a case for every place since I own it all. Some places are dedicated for worship, but do you think my presence is there in a special way when they are vacant? Do you find my presence when you are alone or with other people? In certain places or anywhere at the right moment? At certain times set aside or at unexpected times? Perhaps you should consider a different perspective, that of holy moments rather than holy ground. These could happen anywhere, at any time.

You have my promise that my sheep hear my voice and that my sons are led by the Spirit. Do you find this easy to do? Now you have access to instant communications and nearly all things known to men. Do you see these as being the same thing? Do you find that electronic devices and connections make it easier or more difficult to be led by the Spirit? For I promise guidance to you but I still speak in a still small voice. Have you ever had to turn down the volume of some source of sound to have a conversation with a real person? The same argument applies here.

How good is your vision? Do you find it difficult to make out detail in distant objects? The obvious solution is to move in closer. Everything is easier to see in detail close up. Can you see my image in every person you meet? In some cases this is easy. You may find it obvious in people you admire. What about those you do not? Do you have a natural aversion for them that makes you want to put greater distance between you and them? This will work against my intentions for you and the work I am doing in you.

Do you know who you are? Does this seem like a silly question? Yet a comprehension of identity is not as simple as looking at the name written on your official documents. Understanding it involves a search. Marketers are delighted to assist you in this task. They know how great your desire is for an identity and they are pleased to sell you one for a price. Yet a real identity is not built on brand preferences. Do you want to find the real you? Your real identity may be hidden under a pile of attachments, so finding it may have more to do with releasing than acquiring.

Do you have a belief system? Do you realize that everyone does? Have you observed that everyone you meet lives their life with a basic set of assumptions about the nature of the world, whether they acknowledge and articulate them or not, whether they consider them to be a creed or doctrine or not? So the question is not whether you believe, but what you believe. There are none so blind as those who insist that they reject all beliefs, for they hold theirs unawares. I accused some of being blind and others asked if they were blind also. How could they ask? How could they not know?

Do you see science and faith as being enemies? They are often presented as intractable foes but it doesn’t have to be this way. What is your response when you hear about new discoveries concerning the heavens and the earth? Does it fill you with awe and wonder to learn new information about the things that I have created? You can do this whether those making the discoveries are believers  or not. The things that I have made are expressions of me and the earth reflects my glory. Do you think of watching a science documentary as a religious experience? It can be.

The Bible records an account in which a prophet listened for me in dramatic events like a storm and an earthquake, but I was not in those things. Yet afterwards he heard me speak to him in a still small voice. In what way do you hear from me? Do you require a lot of drama? Have you ever had a faint impression of a course of action you should take, and ignored it, and realized later that it would have been a better choice? I speak to you in the same still small voice with which I spoke to the prophet.

All speech is different, but is all silence the same? You could argue that the absence of sound is silence, and there is only one version of that, but has that been your experience? Have you experienced both profound silences and awkward silences? Certainly these are not the same thing. I answered my critics in such a way that they didn’t dare ask me any more questions. This is different from a situation that is so embarrassing that no one knows what to say. Have you made a joyful noise before me? At other times have you realized that you should keep silent?

Who do you see as the least of these? Do you automatically and only think of the poor? There are people who have their basic needs met who are in even more dire conditions. What about those who are alienated and isolated? The branch cannot bear fruit apart from the vine. This refers to me, but the same concept extends to human community. At that point it doesn’t matter whether you have much money or none. Can you see me in all of these? You can give money to the poor to relieve their condition. What can you do for the alienated and isolated to integrate them into the human community?

Do you love the poor? An objective reading of the Bible would indicate that they have privileged status in the Kingdom of God, but who is eager to be poor to gain this? Do you love the poor enough to donate money for their relief? In the modern economy you can provide for the poor without having to come in contact with them. Do you love the poor enough to meet with them, to hear their stories, and to find out why I consider them to be rich in faith? Do you identify with them, knowing that you too are poor in spirit, and that this is your access point into the Kingdom of God?