Monday, September 3
The black hole of intimacy…
We’re reading the book “Divine Nobodies” by Jim Palmer (For you baseball fans out there…No, it’s not ‘that’ Jim Palmer the famous Oriole pitcher/underwear model) in our weekly ‘church of Panera’ book club.It’s a good book.
Very ‘journal-like’. Very reflective, self-effacing in a good way. He’s a good writer with a good story to tell.
He addresses the issue of depression, especially for a follower of Jesus, in a chapter called “The Black Hole of Intimacy” we will discuss this week.
He writes: I used to be ashamed of my depression, but now I see it’s a secret trapdoor to God. When it hits, I sink down into that black hole and often find Jesus there. I acquired in seminary a lot of theologically correct answers to the question of who Jesus is. Virtually every religious holiday stirs up debate over this question. Yes, He is the “Alpha and Omega,” the great “I AM”, the “Son of Man,” the “King of kings and Lord of lords,” and the “Savior of the world.”
But now when I am asked, I am most inclined to say, “Jesus is the one who sits down close to me in my black hole of despair, offering Himself until it passes.” In some strange way, even though my black hole remains, I’m starting to really know Jesus, and knowing Him makes me feel whole.
Good honest stuff.
Mark Nelson at 7:58 PM 1comments
1 Comments
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at 4:27 PM
ragamuffinminister said... Definitely a good book. I hope your group enjoys it.