#touchmysoul

Shia Labeouf’s latest performance art piece is called #touchmysoul and has people talking about the soul. Labeouf invited people to call him at a special telephone number set up for this performance and “touch his soul.” No further information was given. It is an interesting concept. From the perspective of the collective that put together this performance piece, the soul seems to be the seat of emotions. What they are asking for is someone who will make them smile, give them goosebumps, or affect their emotions in some way. So, how does one touch another person’s soul? What is a soul? How do we touch the soul? Dallas Willard had this to say about the soul.

“While the brain has its role in emotions, intellect, and will, and while people’s bodies are essential, we must always remember that the person is the ultimate unit of analysis: you, me. Thought, feeling, action (involving the body, as well as relations to others) are ultimately dimensions of the person. And it is the soul that combines all the dimensions of the person to form one life. It is like a computer system, which runs an entire commercial operation.”[1]

“The soul is one non-physical dimension of the person. A human person is a non-physical (spiritual) entity that has an essential involvement with a particular physical body. The brain, then—a piece of meat that is of more than usual interest—is one part of the embodied dimension of the human person. It too is integrated by the soul into one life, along with all of the dimensions of the person (at least when all is well).”[2]

Augustine, described the soul as "a special substance, endowed with reason, adapted to rule the body."[3] 

In contemporary thinking, perhaps a helpful metaphor is to think of the soul as the operating system (OS) that organizes the actions and thoughts of a person. Many things will touch or affect the soul but some will affect more than others. We may experience a beautiful piece of music that affects the soul. Poetry, paintings, photography, a well-told story or movie may also touch the soul. Theoretically, if we touch a soul, that soul will be changed forever and will affect the operating system of the person. If the OS is changed, the whole being is changed.

This leads me to want to touch the soul of others. It causes me to ask questions about how I affect others (for good or bad) and causes me to want to have a positive influence on the souls of those around me. If I can “touch a soul” in a good way, I can make that person a better person and ultimately affect the world. What could be grander than that?

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[1] http://www.dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=82

[2] http://www.dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=82

[3] The Greatness of the Soul, Augustine.

Darling Lorraine

“Darling Lorraine” is a story-song by Paul Simon that tells of the emotional journey of Lorraine and Frank. By saying “emotional journey,” I mean that Simon is relating the ups and downs, the ecstasies and the miseries in the emotions of their relationship. He could have tracked the logic of the marriage or the history as seen from outside of the relationship; but instead, he follows the ebb and flow of their feelings for each other. It is a captivating window into one couple’s turbulent relationship. Interspersed throughout are insights into how feelings often overrule common sense. It is a cautionary tale of the power of emotions. Dallas Willard said, “Feelings are, with a few exceptions, good servants. But they are disastrous masters.”[1]

"Darling Lorraine"

(Listen while you read)

The first time I saw her

I couldn't be sure

But the sin of impatience

Said "She's just what you're looking for"

So I walked right up to her

And with the part of me that talks

I introduced myself as Frank

From New York,

New York

She's so hot

She's so cool

I'm not

I'm just a fool in love with Darling Lorraine

All my life I've been a wanderer

Not really, I mostly lived near my parent’s home

Anyway Lorraine and I got married

And the usual marriage stuff

Then one day she says to me

From out of the blue

She says, "Frank, I've had enough

Romance is a heart-breaker

I'm not meant to be a homemaker

And I'm tired of being Darling Lorraine"

What!? you don't love me anymore?

What!? you're walking out the door?

What!? you don't like the way I chew?

Hey, let me tell you

You're not the woman that I wed

You say you're depressed but you're not

You just like to stay in bed

I don't need you darling Lorraine

Darling Lorraine

Lorraine

I long for your love

Financially speaking

I guess I'm a washout

Everybody's buy and sell

And sell and buy

That's what the whole thing's all about

If it had not been Lorraine

I'd have left here long ago

I should have been a musician

I love the piano

She's so light

She's so free

I'm tight, well, that's me

But I feel so good

With Darling Lorraine

On Christmas morning Frank awakes

To find Lorraine has made a stack of pancakes

They watch the television, husband and wife

All afternoon "It's a wonderful life"

What!? you don't love me anymore?

What!? you're walking out the door?

What!? you don't like the way I chew?

Hey let me tell you

You're not the woman that I wed

Gimme my robe I'm going back to bed

I'm sick to death of you Lorraine

Darling Lorraine

Lorraine

Her hands like wood

The doctor was smiling

But the news wasn't good

Darling Lorraine

Please don't leave me yet

I know you're in pain

Pain you can't forget

Your breathing is like an echo of our love

Maybe I'll go down to the corner store

And buy us something sweet

Here's an extra blanket honey

To wrap around your feet

All the trees were washed with April rain

And the moon in the meadow

Took Darling Lorraine

Words and music by Paul Simon

Copyright held by Universal Music Publishing Group

Works Cited:

Willard, Dallas. Renovation of the Heart. Carol Stream: NavPress, 2002.

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[1] (Willard 2002)

Earning and Effort

Some of the most challenging passages in the New Testament are those related to “works” versus “grace.” Theologians have struggled to understand, and argued over, the meaning of these verses for centuries; and this debate is at the root of the greatest divides in all of Christianity. The spectrum of “divine predestination” on one side and, on the other side, “free will and its contingent response to God” have divided such denominations as the Reformed Churches and the Anabaptist churches, the Catholic and certain evangelical churches, and the Baptist and the Mennonite churches. Some denominations even have divisions among their churches related to the concepts of grace versus works. Passages like this one in Romans 4 are challenging to understand and, dependent on the lens through which we see them, are seen as evidence for one or the other side in the debate.

Romans 4:16, 18, 20-22

¹⁶ So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. . . . ¹⁸ Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing . . . . ²⁰ Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. ²¹ He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. ²² And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. ²³ And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded ²⁴ for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Most theologians and denominations have found a place to rest on the continuum of views somewhere between the extreme ends. All traditions must come to terms with the relationship between the things we do to put ourselves in right relationship with God and the ever-reaching work of God that assures that some people will receive salvation and eternal life. Even as I write the words, “some people will receive,” I struggle with the word to use: “some,” “all,” “most,” “a few,” “some but not all.” I will let it stand with “some,” knowing that it will raise questions among specific readers from specific traditions of understanding.

Dallas Willard (September 4, 1935 – May 8, 2013) was an intelligent pastor to pastors, theologian, and author. Many of his books offer genuine help in the practical outworking of our understanding of these various perspectives on works and grace. His professional and private life were a living testimony to his understanding of grace. He understood his place of privilege in God’s household and still recognized the necessity of effort in all things. Because of years of study and writing, the right words regarding “earning” and “effort” were readily available to him when he was interviewed in 2002. 

“Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action. Grace, you know, does not just have to do with forgiveness of sins alone.”[1] 

Several years before, Willard had expanded these themes further in his book The Divine Conspiracy. I would highly recommend this book to Christians, followers of other faiths, and followers of no faith. It is certainly one valuable work that helps to resolve the time-worn conundrum of works versus grace.

I conclude this entry by directing our attention to Psalm 121 which was originally written as a song that pilgrims would sing on their way to Jerusalem. As travelers walked the dangerous roads on their way to a time of reunion, celebration, and sacrifice toward their God, this song exemplifies the attitudes necessary for these brave travelers. “I look up to the mountains but my help does not come from there. My help comes from the Lord. He watches over his people: this people who move forward to take hold of this love and protection from God; this people who must walk, must praise, must offer sacrifice, must trust the Lord even as they rely upon him for their help. He watches over his people both now and forever.”

Psalm 121

¹ I look up to the mountains—
    does my help come from there?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

³ He will not let you stumble;
    the one who watches over you will not slumber.
⁴ Indeed, he who watches over Israel
    never slumbers or sleeps.

⁵ The Lord himself watches over you!
    The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
⁶ The sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon at night.

⁷ The Lord keeps you from all harm
    and watches over your life.⁸ The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.

New Living Translation (NLT)

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[1] “Kingdom Living;” Interview with Andy Peck for Christianity + Renewal Magazine, Published by United Kingdom, May 2002.

God's Voice

In a previous post I wrote about guidance from God. This present post must be understood within the context of that broader article. In the previous article I spoke of God's guidance coming through God's word, God's voice, God's reason, God's people, and God's circumstances. Today I would like to write about one part of how God guides those who seek him and submit to his will: God's voice. How do we listen for God's voice?

1 Kings 19:9-13 falls within a long section in which Elijah plays several key roles. It is hard to pull one part out from the rest. Elijah was a very complex prophet; but, read this section and ask yourself one question: "What does God's voice sound like?"

There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. . . .

Hebrew scholars note that one possible translation of the word that is here represented as "a quiet whisper" could also be "a silence." The emphasis is on God being faint, subtle, restrained. He is not in the powerful wind, he is not in the earthquake, and he is not in the fire. He is much more subtle with Elijah in this situation.

When we consider God's guidance, and in particular, God's voice, how do we hear him? What might his voice sound like to us? I stress again that we listen to his voice within the context of his word (the Bible), his reason (logic placed in our brains), his people (the community of faith), and his circumstances (the indications we have that point us in a certain direction). God's voice will likely sound different to each of us as he uses our personalities and nature through which he speaks. The key is we must carefully listen for the subtle voice and carefully separate that voice from all of the other things that might distract us from his voice.

Emotions

I am a mixture of emotions today. I am very happy that the Vancouver Canucks Hockey team gave us such a great season of entertainment. I am thankful that I get to live in the great city of Vancouver. Yes, I did want to celebrate a Stanley Cup victory with my friends in this city or celebrate a great second place showing. I remember other good celebrations where people cheered and spontaneously sang "Oh Canada" on the balconies and streets of downtown Vancouver. I wanted to wave across the street at my neighbours and have them feel joy.

I am sad that anarchists and other people with empty lives have hurt the image of Vancouver. People who think that rioting, or hockey, or alcohol , or marijuana will fill their lives are sadly lost. They do not realize that they have a "God-shaped-hole"# in their lives that is aching to be filled.

A few hours before the hockey game started last night I was thinking about these words by Dallas Willard: "Feelings are, with a few exceptions, good servants. But they are disastrous masters."* I thought about how many people in Vancouver needed to put a little emotional distance between themselves and the Canucks so that they would avoid being ruled by their emotions. The rioting in Vancouver last night had little to do with hockey but it did have a lot to do with people being ruled by emotions.

We dare not deny our feelings and we dare not be ruled by them. If we identify the underlying condition that gives rise to the feeling we can assign feelings their appropriate place. Then our actions will be guided by "insight, understanding, and conviction of truth" rather than the feelings of the moment. For further understanding of these principles I highly recommend Renovation of the Heart.


#Blaise Pascal coined this concept and C.S. Lewis made it popular.
*Willard, Dallas. Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2002, p. 122.

Feelings

Feelings are, with a few exceptions, good servants. But they are disastrous masters.*

It is easy to be controlled by our feelings. We get up in the morning, look in the mirror to ensure that our face is still in the right place and then we check our feelings. We might also look out the window and see what the weather is like before determining how we feel. For many of us, this mood check becomes a guiding factor for the rest of the day. People ask us, "How are you?" We answer with some variant of the feelings we detected while staring at our face in the bathroom mirror. But allowing ourselves to be mastered by our feelings is unhealthy and unnecessary.

Dallas Willard notes that

Addiction is a feeling phenomenon. The addict is one who, in one way or another, has given in to feeling of one kind or another and has placed it in the position of ultimate value in his or her life.#

By contrast, the person who happily lets God be God does have a place to stand in dealing with feelings - even in extreme cases such as despair over loved ones or excruciating pain or voluptuous pleasure. They have the resources to do what they don't want to do and to not do what they want. They know and deeply accept the fact that their feelings, of whatever kind, do not have to be fulfilled. They spend little time grieving over non-fulfillment. And with respect to feelings that are inherently injurious and wrong, their strategy is not one of resisting them in the moment of choice but of living in such a way that they do not have such feelings at all, or at least do not have them in a degree that makes it hard to decide against them when appropriate.^

We dare not deny our feelings and we dare not be ruled by them. If we identify the underlying condition that gives rise to the feeling we can assign feelings their appropriate place. Then our actions will be guided by "insight, understanding, and conviction of truth" rather than the feelings of the moment. For further understanding of these principles I highly recommend Renovation of the Heart.

*Willard, Dallas. Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2002, p. 122.
#Willard, 2002, p. 125.
^Willard, 2002, p. 119.