Learning, Inventing, Eclectic

A major flaw in people which often spawns distaste for others is lack of learning, education, lack of creative invention, lack of being eclectic themselves.

Eclectic? "composed of elements drawn from a variety of sources".

If you've read my writings for very long you've likely noticed one of my go-to views is "there's always a work-around". Except for salvation and eternal life in Jesus alone, there is most of the time, more than one way to get something accomplished.

It's that ethic that has enabled the poor from the time of Adam and Eve until now, to survive. Yet it's more than a survival matter.

New Zealander's and people on the African continent have been known right through history to be innovators of fresh ideas, "local inventors" of various methods to create tools, machines and from such, to take care of their needs as well as artistic elements.

When you're "in the bush" or "at the end/bottom of the world" out in rural areas without a local store to run in get what you need or desire you have to think, work out possibilities, invent, consider a problem from different angles and thus produce what you are trying to get from what you already have or can sooner procure by your wits.

I suppose it's from my Dad's DNA and also watching and realizing he'd done this again and again when money wasn't available or there was a more immediate, sometimes simpler but always cheaper way to do it. He created, crafted, built and used things with an ingenuity that served him well. I'm sure he learned this in part from living in farm country watching farmers do it plenty.

It may be that my eclectic sense of music -for example, beyond my default blues music writing, performing and life is somehow connected to this, I don't know, God does.

My own musical interests have always spawned from blues, soul, r&b but also include rock, folk, electronica, indeed noise. Many who have followed me aren't aware of all that but it's true. I only sporadically listen to music but when I do it's often with a much wider palate. Same for food. It's a very rare thing I don't truly enjoy very different, wide varieties of food from where ever I've traveled in the world, and beyond those places, cuisine from beyond them when I have tasted it right here in the U.S..

It's the same with cultures -there are good, even uplifting and more "Christian" than what passes for mainstream Christianity in my country often lived out by Jesus-lovers/followers in other places right through our own country.

So you see, the monolithic "You gotta play THIS style of music!" or "Why do you dress like THAT?!", "How can you STAND that food?" or "Don't you realize God doesn't like that approach?" is sometimes, even in some cases often not a matter of Jesus' example or Bible teaching overall but a matter of personal taste, upbringing, persuasion by people who themselves are more narrow than the narrow gate to the kingdom of God Jesus talked about.

This is why prejudice (literally "ignorant, un-educated judgement"), racism and xenophobia are important to be aware of, face, and repent of if in your thinking and attitudes toward people and things who are different than yourself.

We were created by God -in His image- and yet Jesus came to close the gap between ourselves and the Lord God, repair the breach. We who have consistently sinned and lived UNLIKE Him are SO different that He went to the cross for it! Think on that. God manifested Himself in Jesus as both God and man BECAUSE we were (are now at times) so unlike Him.

It's one thing for Perfect, Holy God Himself to put forth an ethic of "My way or the highway", quite another for flawed, sinful humans to DEMAND that of others, yet we do it all the time, and not for their best life... which is why God calls us to live His way or there are penalties to pay. His call and actions are done out of His love. Ours are too often done out of spite, fear, anger, selfishness.

So how did I get to this when beginning with personal discussion of other matters?

I don't agree with just any lifestyle, choice or value. The issue is: what is my attitude toward people who think and do differently than I? The issue is: do I love people and even appreciate them when we disagree? Why do I say this? Because God does it with me all the time -and He does it with you too dear reader!

An open but not "Whatever!" heart and attitude, being willing to move beyond "the norm" has taught me more than "stay at home, keep your cards close to your chest, don't trust ANYONE EVER and watch out or they'll mess you up!!". It's ignorant, foolish and doesn't reflect a loving Lord Who came down to BLESS we people living in a broken, often desperate life focused on ourselves and not Him and others.

Such keeps one ignorant and in an undercurrent of worry. THAT, dear ones, isn't walking in the light nor living a life of love from and in God. It will also keep us from sharing the Good News with others unlike ourselves.

Things worth considering? I think so!

And as always, thanks for stopping by :) -Glenn