Last night was winter solstice. When dawn broke this morning, it ended 2010's longest night. For that reason, I like to believe that today is the begnning of a new year--the New Year.
To greet this Day, the turning point of the planet, allow me to write down some goals I have for 2011. I'll begin with some literary intellectual goals and then maybe move on to the more cosmic and spiritual.
a) read all of Shakespeare's works
b) post a blog at least once a week
c) practice writing and acting; by which I mean write/act not only when I've a project but do acting/writing exercises daily to keep my artistic muscles fit
d) respect other people's deadlines
e) respect other people's boundaries
I have only one "spiritual" goal: to be naked before God. Now I don't mean that I would start stripping as soon as I enter Sunday service for worship. What I mean is I'll try my best to go against the sin DNA that my ancestor Adam passed on to me. When he sinned, he hid in the woods and covered his shame with leaves. God said, "Where are you?"
I know down to my bones that in 2011 I'll have moments of failure. Moments when I've blown it and, like Adam, would go run for cover and self-medicate my shame rather than face responsibility. But what if I go against that?
What if, when I hear my God walking in the garden where I sinned and I know I'm busted, I'd go instead and meet Him, falling down at His feet, tush shaking, crying out, "I did something terrible! I disobeyed You!"
In the movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, when Reepicheep entered Aslan's country, he stripped off his armor and laid down his sword. He said, "I wouldn't be needing this anymore." What if I strip off my spiritual/intellectual/non-emotional savvy and stand naked and vulnerable before God, hiding nothing? Just being me before my Maker, no more, no less. He killed an animal aund made clothes out of its hide for Adam and Eve. (I often wonder how those early shirts looked like. Certainly different from the Neanderthal-ish illustrations in most Sunday School books. We're talking about the God of creativity here making clothes!) I do know that many years ago Jesus shed His blood for me. He covered me with His precious blood.
