The title alone lifted this to the top of my morning reading!
As always, I was caught up in your honesty. Interesting and Inviting.
Curious now if the Jewish people have an equivalent of the mystics as we do in Christianity? That was what shifted me from the religious constriction of answers to the relational conversation of questions.
It is always a pleasure to read your work! I look forward to the next.
Ah this is fantastic. I watched a good bit of that! haha!
Relational conversation is, well like how one would have a healthy relationship with another person. I don't think I could be married to someone who just handed me a rule book. How would we ever know what's possible when all we were ever guided by was what was not permitted? This sentence from your essay reminded me how most of my childhood was, answers and rules:
Life shouldn’t be a bunch of rules I can’t break “because He said so”.
In Christianity, we say we are granted a spirit of discernment. With that discernment we can have conversations about outcomes much like the words you wrote earlier in the paragraph I quoted. But then it gets personal. That's the whole relationship part. I'm not living because of someone else's rules, I make my own choices in life through the discernment I have been gifted. That feels more like a relationship, a conversation. Reminds me a lot of the Book of Job.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, Yehudis! I enjoyed your pacing and structure exploring your various anecdotes across the different domains of life experience.
This is so inspiring. "If they’ll give me a word, I’ll defend myself. I’ll tell them or God or whoever is doing the sentencing that the real world is too rich. It’s full of joy and experiences and moments I’ll never regret sinning for. If there’s a God and He created this world, can’t He accept that I wanted to live it?"
Boy, you really know how to start a conversation don't you? I'm taking this question and letting it marinate as a possible writing prompt. Too significant a question to warrant a short answer. : ) Thanks for asking!
The title alone lifted this to the top of my morning reading!
As always, I was caught up in your honesty. Interesting and Inviting.
Curious now if the Jewish people have an equivalent of the mystics as we do in Christianity? That was what shifted me from the religious constriction of answers to the relational conversation of questions.
It is always a pleasure to read your work! I look forward to the next.
When I Googled "the mystics" a rock and roll group popped up. Here's the Jewish equivelant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evLYJFCmHXo&ab_channel=AvrahamRosenblum
Jokes aside, tell me more what you mean about the relational conversation?
I'm so glad you read this - and that it resonated!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Ah this is fantastic. I watched a good bit of that! haha!
Relational conversation is, well like how one would have a healthy relationship with another person. I don't think I could be married to someone who just handed me a rule book. How would we ever know what's possible when all we were ever guided by was what was not permitted? This sentence from your essay reminded me how most of my childhood was, answers and rules:
Life shouldn’t be a bunch of rules I can’t break “because He said so”.
In Christianity, we say we are granted a spirit of discernment. With that discernment we can have conversations about outcomes much like the words you wrote earlier in the paragraph I quoted. But then it gets personal. That's the whole relationship part. I'm not living because of someone else's rules, I make my own choices in life through the discernment I have been gifted. That feels more like a relationship, a conversation. Reminds me a lot of the Book of Job.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, Yehudis! I enjoyed your pacing and structure exploring your various anecdotes across the different domains of life experience.
Thank you so much! My partner said this sounds like a piece of a conversation - and I like that thought.
Such an amazing, break-free from old beliefs article!
Very relatable, having grown up in a (less orthodox) Catholic family.
It's also so agile and profound at the same time, which is becoming your trademark.
Keep 'em coming!
Thank you, Oscar! It's pretty cool that someone from a different type of religious background could relate to this.
This is so inspiring. "If they’ll give me a word, I’ll defend myself. I’ll tell them or God or whoever is doing the sentencing that the real world is too rich. It’s full of joy and experiences and moments I’ll never regret sinning for. If there’s a God and He created this world, can’t He accept that I wanted to live it?"
Thank you so much! Did you grow up religious? Are you religious now?
Boy, you really know how to start a conversation don't you? I'm taking this question and letting it marinate as a possible writing prompt. Too significant a question to warrant a short answer. : ) Thanks for asking!
I can't wait! Always curious about others' spiritual journeys.
such a great piece!
Thanks, Jon! So nice to see you here.
Excellent, Yehudis. And I love the picture! :)
Thank you! And thanks, Midjourney! Having a blast with it.