From Renée, over at ianua:

things i learned from this weekend:

1. that community is church
2. that god is present in pain, loss, suffering, fear, and need
3. that i am a long way from being “well”
4. that “well” is over-rated
5. that it is really true that darkness and light go together
6. that the darkness will not overcome me, even though i may die in the midst of it
7. that death is the only pathway to resurrection
8. that not-pretending i am okay feels really amazing
9. that there is healing in being broken
10. that imagination and imagery is holy
11. that being present with other women in the depths of who we are is sacred ground
12. that ruach elohim does exist, and i have felt her breath

The one that strikes me hardest - It’s almost always the one that makes me say to myself, “Duh!” - is #7.To participate in the resurrection, one must die; and death - particularly your own, when occurring in the midst of your living - sucks.

Kerri and I rented Mystic River over the weekend, and my mind is connecting this thought from Renée to something said by Tim Robbins’ character. On one point Robbins describes himself as a vampire, an undead creature who only wears a mask of life on the outside. Internally, his past has left him dead. If you’ve seen the movie, you know that his death was sudden, dramatic, and complete. Some of us, I’m sure, know that experience. Others have died or are dying slowly, subtly, one inch at a time. We die like gangrene creeping slowing up our legs. Regardless, we die.

We all must die, for death is the only pathway to resurrection.

You’re thoughts on the list?