The Helio Sequence - Lately

Truth in Opposites

I recently heard someone (important) say that most of our troubles in our lives and in the world are caused by lies. Lies told on purpose, or lies we tell ourselves, or lies that are mutations of the truth we are too eager to believe for our own purposes. We accept them like our monthly bills, we open them up, read them exactly as they are, and pay them accordingly. Taking the extra time to figure out if there have been any mistakes on the bill, and then arguing with sender is just too taxing and takes too much time. Just open it, read it, pay it. Mistakes in understanding don't exactly expose intent.

Well,  thinking about lies and misconceptions we easily accept got me to think about forms of expressions. I am probably not the only one that expresses myself in ways other than straight and obvious truth. In fact, sometimes expressions are far less direct than we can clearly see, and its hard to make any sense at all of what message you are trying to understand.

Expressing myself is hard work. Getting anyone to buy what I am saying most of the time is even harder. People even expect lies, extrapolations, omissions. We live among ghosts of reality, sneaking around in between conversations, but not often clearly revealing themselves, unless we hunt them. I find myself joking, singing, tiptoeing around, writing poetry, songs, and stories, all for the purpose of exposing what I feel is important. I wonder how many feel this way. I am sure I am not alone. 

Understanding others' messages can be even more difficult, especially when its hard to even know when they are not being direct. This song is an example.(I have included it in the Blog - The Helio Sequence, Lately) If you listen to it a first time, like you're just opening the good old mail..you hear a guy denouncing any feelings left for a person he has left behind. What a jerk. Who wants to hear they aren't missed.

 A second listen (since it is a good song) divulges to me, that he wouldn't be singing this song if he didn't feel the exact opposite. Why would he spend the time to think and sing about not needing  his lost one. Its obvious he is struggling in his own loneliness and sorrow. He is pitiful, and I wish I could comfort him. 

And all it took was one extra listen to the song. He must have loved her a lot. His intention here was to express the pain of losing his lover. 

It made me wonder, how many times in my life have I heard someone's words and not gotten the message at all? Worse yet, gotten the exact opposite message. Maybe it's worth it to give things a second visit, a second chance to be heard, interpreted, understood. Perhaps clarity in the message comes from focusing on the intent.

I recently figured out that there is guy in my life who does a lot of shinnanigans while giving his messages. I used to  listen to what he had to say, and do my best to follow his suggestions. But sometimes, I just felt he was confusing, if not downright absurd. His comments or suggestions were not consistent with who I knew him to be. In a confused state of mind, I would tend to get miffed and start to ignore him. I can do what I think is best, his opinion is nice, his stories are interesting, but sometimes I just don't get him at all. What can I do? It's easier just to dismiss him, since I don't get him anyways. 

But the guy just won't seem to go away. He keeps coming back, telling me more, asking me to go here and there, and if you know me, you know I am pretty much up for any kind of trip. 

I've been watching him a little more carefully. (after all, it's all about listening). It dawned on me, that since people (and I) tended not to always listen to what he was saying straight up, he found that  humour, re framing, even blatant irony, sarcasm and absurdity were better ways to get me and others to listen to him. I realized he had good reasons for what I thought was nonsense at times. And now, I look at it, I take a second look, I call the company and refuse to pay the bill until I know what the charges are for. 

Take a look at Luke 10 25-37. It's a good window into what I mean. 

 A higher-up member in religious society encounters Jesus and takes the opportunity to get the big answer. He asks, "What do I have to do to get eternal life?". 

Jesus responds, "Why do you ask me? You are the expert on the Laws of Moses, you know this answer." (after all, Jesus was just a free spirited young guy spreading new-age crap, so how would he know?). 

The religious guy starts spouting the commandments..which we all know. He got to the one regarding love towards our neighbour.

 "You must love your neighbour as yourself" he said proudly. (within your own church, of course)

Jesus remarked, "See, you knew it all along". Aha..Sarcasm, " Do this, follow the Law of Moses, and you will live forever!" he laughs. I can just see him sitting, picking a piece of grass or playing with some pebbles, and just going, man, you have got it SO wrong.

Then we see Jesus develop a well laid out plan of satire, adopting the mindset of the 'holier than though' he stood with. In order to expose such a foolish way of thinking, he develops it along with this guy, using the guys already existing legalistic frame of understanding. 

"So if I respond to all the needs of the people around me, I will live forever?!" asked the guy.

"Let me ask you a question, after this little story, " says Jesus. He tells him of the Good Samaritan. 

"Which of these guys is your neighbour, the priest that passed by, Levite that passed by, or the Samaritan that stopped to help this guy, despite all the issues between their peoples?"

The guy thinks, already embarrassed at his stupidity and says, "The Samaritan, of course, for he had mercy upon the fallen man."

"Right, " says Jesus, with another laugh. 

"You got it, now go and do likewise" he says, knowing it's not at all  likely. 

The puzzled 'holy man' sits for a while, as Jesus walks on. He wonders, how can I possibly have mercy on all my enemies, all those within my community and also those outside of it. I am only one person, and I have limited resource, and I really don't see how I can do this. He is overwhelmed and confused.

"Jesus!" he yells.

Jesus turns back. 

" It's impossible to have mercy on all those who require it, and love everyone endlessly, for I am one man, and I can only do what one man can do! It involves too much sacrifice, too much risk, all my resources! It's impossible!" 

Jesus smiles, this time a larger smile. "Right", he says. 

In his brilliant way, he used a playful way to get this headstrong and blocked 'holy' (self righteous) man to see that his interpretation of the laws were foolish and the way is much more simple than that. He exposed foolishness just by going along with the man, allowing him to figure it out on his own through the process of receiving the message, answering it himself, even if he was wrong along the way. 

There are no laws, no quick answers, and it won't require much sacrifice. The religious guy is able to laugh at himself and his foolish thought process. This was the intent Jesus must have had.

I am beginning to know this guy on a whole new level now. He is full of poem, play, symbolism, satire, and more. He delivers messages in ways that are much more interesting to me, but also require more investment in him, and more trust in his true nature, in his intent. He allows me to have foolish answers, wrong interpretation, but if I keep following, I eventually get to the clear and true answers. I am less inclined to dismiss his messages as inconsistent overwhelming useless twitters. I am even looking for truth in opposites.

copyright Theresa Ullyot 2010

with inspiration and assistance from Michael Frost, "Jesus, the Fool" (Hendrickson Publishers, 2010)