Abba

I wonder what that small little word made up of the first two letters of the alphabet squared means to you?
For some of us it brings thoughts of a rock band Abba (cadabara) and in turn the wonderful surprises in the mystery of abracadabra.  The word also immediately transports me into the loving arms of the Daddy Father God.  I am reminded of the passage in the Bible where the apostle Paul says to the Romans, "So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father."" (Romans 8:15)  In the language of that time Abba means Daddy or Papa.  God does adopt us as His own, longing to be in close and loving relationship with Him like a loving Daddy.

Hung high, up some stairs and around the corner in a corridor near that same art studio that I visited on the weekend was another wonderful painting that has settled in my heart.  "We love Abba" was sprawled across its vibrant and colourful canvas.  Although I have no idea of its actual context in the mind of its creator, part of what I love about art is the unique reactions and creative process that continues in the canvas of each heart that the work is touching.   I was immediately brought to the heart of God and His adoption of me when I saw that painting. God  for me is vibrant and colourful, a caring and loving Father who adopts and includes us in His heavenly earthly family. 

Unmistakable in the painting  were dark spears emerging from the canvas. I was not surprised.  Those spears  brought the paradox of my faith and the complexities of fear to mind.  I thought of the sharp crown of thorns on Christ's head and  the spears that often pierce hearts when the word Christianity or God is mentioned.  Often our reaction to God is one of fear.  Even misplaced Christians use tactics of fear to try to draw others to God.  God repeats over and over to those encountering His presence "Do not be afraid!"  God is our loving Papa.  As Paul states, we are not to ever be in bondage to fear.   The very good news of Christianity is to bring love, not fear.  As our Father, God is full of overwhelming joy and love in our presence.  Like the Father in the story of the prodigal son that went away and then returned home in humility to a wonderful welcome of love, the very thought of us causes God to smile and run toward us in loving embrace.

Still, considering my Christian God does bring sharp fearful spears of unknown to me.  My faith is not always comfortable.  I am not sure that we are always on target in our interpretation of the words of the Bible.  Too often they seem to divide and pierce rather than unite.  I am so hugely sad and sorry for all the pain that Christianity has and is causing many.  

Still, I believe that Christ was God.  I believe that God is our loving Abba father.  I take it all, colour, radiance, love and spears and try to myself live the life of love and unity that is the strong fabric of the whole of God's being both in Christ and the Bible.  It is not easy or clearly explainable.  It involves both joy and sorrow, love and fear.  Through it all I am convinced that the vibrance of love wins.  As Paul so clearly says, let's not fall into that fear.  Join the love of adoption by God.

Abbacadabra.  Abba.  Father.  Love, not fear.  Love.

Unexpected Creation

Family members have been asking me where the blogs have gone over these last weeks.  It seems that these blogs are for us all a good way to keep updated with one another as we are scattered in the various places we call home.  I am not good at expressing my feelings over the phone, and even though sometimes I feel my writing is cliche and repetitive, as one daughter exclaimed, she actually looks forward to her daily dose of cliche and sharing laughter with her mum!

This weekend I  got to spend time with another daughter in her art studio.  Amidst the clutter, pungent smells and stark utility of the place one large work of art particularly grabbed my attention and settled deep in my heart.  It was a unique creation of blue propped up against a wall in the studio, mysteriously eye catching because actually it was a huge home made tray, originally created to catch the paint drippings from other works of art hung above it.  In the process of the paint flowing down, paper thrown on top and bare feet captured in the drippings, an amazing work was created, completely inadvertently and by surprise in the process of working on other more intentional pieces.

I was deeply encouraged in my own heart in the process.  Most of my life is focussed on helping to let the beauty and unique attributes of others unfold in the canvasses of their journeys.  With my big family, I feel like I have a whole lot of canvasses hanging from the rafters that need attention.  I am that tray underneath, functional and full of all the drippings!  It was a gift for me to think that maybe without me even noticing, a work of art is being created in the tray of my life as well.  Part of that tray painting reminded me of the delight of finding fossils.  Even though we don't often consciously realize it, our lives are great beds of fossils that create beauty and story to be saved and discovered.  All of our lives work together to form those works of art that we may ourselves never really see or appreciate fully.  Still, they are often the most beautiful and wonderful creations of all.

Be encouraged in being who you are created to be.  Even those functional trays bring beauty and encouragement in the process of doing their ordinary work!  Look with creative and discovering eyes at the patterns and fossils left in your own journey.  We are all works of art created in the unexpected with surprising delight!