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By Scott Erickson
I get tempted. But never like this.
I personally distrust teachings that compare some crazy Biblical story to the normalcy of my life. Example: “Jesus calmed the storm on the sea. Can He calm the “storms” in our lives?” A literal storm vs. hard seasons in my life? WTF. That’s no comparison. I’m sure if i was in an ACTUAL storm that was so bad I was afraid of drowning, and I ACTUALLY saw Jesus calm the literal storm to silence… I’m pretty sure that would mellow out all other intense situations for me. Like the next time I had no work booked for three months (as of now my literal Fall), I’m fairly sure when the anxiety crept up, I’d recall seeing storms literally dissipate and think to myself “He got this” and I’d go on my way.
I’ve never had a future in front of me where I knew if i kept going I’d suffer horrible torture at the hands of empirical powers and I would slowly die on one of the worst execution devices ever created by human beings.
That said. I get tempted.
Not in the vein of shoplifting and hating annoying people in society. I’m talking about Incarnation.
I get tempted all the time to not say yes to the life that is right in front of me. The relational commitments I’ve made to family and a spouse. The psychological commitments I’ve made to perspective and choice. The faith commitments that I’ve made to the Ground of Being. The incarnation commitments I’ve made to being my truest manifestation of being… instead of constant longing to being fulfilled by being something other than me.
The road ahead of me is not an execution device. Thank God. But constantly on all of our roads is the death that comes from saying yes to our particular incarnation. Your body. Your family. Your capabilities. Your limitations. Your time. Your place. Your short breath of life in the absurd and beautiful universe.
Because to say yes to your life is to say no to all the other incarnational possibilities that you see everyday lived in the lives of others you so wish you could have.
“Father, take this cup from me. But not my will, but yours be done.”
But like I said, I distrust teachings like this.
Scott Erickson is a touring painter, performance speaker, and creative priest who mixes autobiography, mythology, and aesthetics to create art and moments that speak to our deepest experiences. Check out his art and reflections ScottErickson.