living in a world where 2+2=5

I can not begin to imagine a world where 2+2 does not equal 4. This is an absolute in my life. Hopefully in yours. If not... well. This is all I have ever known. I don’t hold nor any other human holds such the power to create such a community where 2+2=5.

Is it possible for there to be a world that exists that is totally foreign than mine? Sure it is possible. And I recognize that I do not have the will power to create such a community. But the one that I do believe holds this power is God. Creative being. Whatever you wish to call this thing that runs this world. He or she is such a strong designer that he or she is able to set absolutes in a world and they stay that way.

God has created such a system that we couldn’t even begin to recognize the implications of a world outside the one that already preexists. Meaning that aliens have eyes like us. We only can project “what we already know” on to life that could possibly exist outside our existence.

I do not claim that for one moment that I have all these absolutes figured out. Even take pi for example. The number is eternal. We know pi exists. But this number goes on forever. And we can keep looking and looking, but still never find. We recognize that we don’t have all the absolutes in the area of numbers. But with some ignorance we claim this with our spirituality.

Tonight when I was at work a guy I was working with called me a homo jokingly. I asked, “Do you think that is funny?” Then I said, “What if I was a homo?” He responds, “Well, I don’t like gays.” Then I said, “ I love gay people.” He laughs. Then I said gays like any other person are human beings. People of dignity and stature that deserve to be treated as such. In his mind gays scare him. Their way of life does not fit in his “absolute” view of how sexuality should be. So he responds with hate. Jokes.

I have to be honest. I don’t know really how God feels about homosexuals. I know how I feel. But only can begin to guess at how God feels. But I do know how God feels towards his creation. It is an absolute reality. He loves it. A sort of thing where 2+2=4. It is always the rule. There are no exceptions.

There is a story in Mark where a man encounters Jesus. Jesus requires of this man to sell all that he has. He's rich. He adores his stuff. It is what give him his identity. It defines him. The very thing he loves so much Jesus is calling him to walk away from him. So that a voice much bigger can be in the midst of this man's life. The beautiful image that Mark paints is that before this poor man says yes or no. Mark says Jesus first looked at him and loved him. Past tense. This love started a long time ago. It has no ending. It has no beginning. This is love. Sort of like 2+2=4 always. It is an absolute for God. Before we ever make any decisions about our life.

God loves.

It is an absolute.

It is who God is.

But the man instead of selling everything. Walks away from Jesus. And this saddens Jesus. God loves always. It is never lacking. Never. Whether we turn and walk away. It never lacks. It is an absolute. I think it saddens Jesus when we don’t use this absolute, eternal love to it’s best potential. God’s love is present before, during, and after any decision we choose to walk in, in this life. It is what he is. Whether I am a homosexual, heterosexual. Whatever. God loves me. It is the reality.

I have tried being in control. I have tried making my own absolutes. I have tried and tried. But I give up. I give it to the one who loves always. I don’t need anything else. The world does not need any other system except for the system that God has already created. We can’t help but live in this system.

It is our reality we can fight. Except it. Walk away. It is true in whatever way we choose to walk.

God loves us. It is true. It is beautiful. When I am lonely God loves me. When I am sinful and dirty God loves me. When I am joyed and filled with wonder God loves me. No matter what state my heart is in. The absolute, undeniable truth that can never be shaken.

God loves.