Escape, Experience, and Explore

Perichoresis

dwmorrison — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:38:53 +0000

I was finishing reading, “The Reason for God,” today and came upon the last chapter entitled “The Dance of God.” This touching chapter took me back to me college Theology courses which would throw around interesting Greek words like they are a normal part of everyday human language.

This word “perichoresis” was just one of the many that rolled straight through my mind and into my memory bank, as if I would really use them in the future. I have now come to realize the power in this term as it is defined, “to dance or flow around.” That doesn’t seem like it is that mind blowing until you look at it in context! This concept of perichoresis was used and is still used by early Christians to describe the relationship of the Holy Trinity(Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It refers to the mutual indwelling, satisfaction, and ultimately perfect unselfish love of the three members of the trinity. Please allow me to also point out two key points: (1) Christianity is the only religion in the world that accepts the concept of God as Three in One. (2) Christianity is also the only religion that allows for the world to be created and redeemed through perfect love.

Let’s break it down, the trinity flows around and through one another in perfect harmony like a dance or a choreography. This perfect dance is a result of the eternal energy of their unending love and pouring into of themselves into eachother equally and totally. This eternal dance, this eternal motion of love is the same love that brought this world into existance in hope of bringing creation and this new creation, humanity, into this eternal cycle of love. We humans have screwed it up and decided that we would rather dance to our own beat. God decided that this simply would not work and actually humbled himself and took on our mortality and died for us as the perfect showing of love and justice. He had re-extended to invitation!

Finally, upon death Christian believers will find themselves entertwined into this beautiful eternal dance of God’s love in heaven. This love no longer allows for selfishness, but total unselfish actions. The universe will be restored to perfection as it joins together in this perfect perichoresis between the Triune God and creation!

I desire for all of my relationships to be a mirror of how God is! I desire to love my wife and family unselfishly as empowered by the Holy Spirit to do so. Maybe through seeking this I can find a small piece of heaven on earth, or an early glimps into eternity. I call for all Christians to adopt this ideal and to join into the dance of God and to emulate this perichoretic love in our lives!

Truth

dwmorrison — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:47:34 +0000

While reading this book I have had my eyes opened to some of the most powerful thoughts and ideas that I have had in a while, I hope that isn’t a bad thing. Just like every other human being I have come to question many things in life like the nature of what true freedom is and the nature of the authority of the Bible. I have two very powerful quotes by Tim Keller that have changed the way that I look at both subjects.

“Freedom then is not the absence of limitations and constraints but it is finding the right ones, those that fit our nature and liberate us.”

“Only if your God can say things that outrage you and make you sturggle(as in a real friendship or marriage!) will you know that you have gotten hold of a real God and not a figment of your imaginiation. So an authoritative Bible is not the enemy of a personal relationship with God. IT IS THE PRECONDITION FOR IT!”

Give me your thoughts. What is true freedom? Why does the Bible have to be authoritative? Check this book out if you have more questions. Its in depth study of some of the most difficult questions about God has proved to be life changing for myself!

Speaking Louder, Not Yelling

dwmorrison — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:13:01 +0000

I would like to borrow a famous quote from St. Francis of Assisi who says “Preach at all times and if necessary use words.” My prayer is that believers in Christ would realize the opportunity that they have to be “salt” to our culture and world. Going against the status quo is difficult, but in order to be effective in furthering the life changing Gospel of Jesus Christ, you have to act and then speak later. Christ spoke ultimatly through his actions, why don’t we?

Depth

dwmorrison — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:17:29 +0000

What does it mean to go deeper in life, aside from coal mining and submarines? I desire to dig deeper into the great beautiful meanings of what this life has to offer. For it my belief that beauty can be found in even the most terrible or inconvenient situation through witnessesing the hand of our creator and His fingerprints on our lives. True depth of character, integrity, and soul is something that can only be found through unwavering pursual of Jesus Christ and a RELATIONSHIP with him!