She placed her feet on the sand so that the cold water would
just hit her toes. She squealed and ran up the beach repeating this for about
the 20th time. Her uncle sat atop a dune where he could see her on the
beach below. He sat practicing the art of hand writing- it soothed him to
physically write thoughts down instead of imprinting them in the Tri-Verse.
Children were a blessing but adults could be in the
Tri-Verse longer than their young. Family members like Asa would take shifts
with the young family members. For now, him and his niece Tamar had a few hours
together several days a week. It was the only time he appreciated the physical
world. That squeal of hers, it got him chuckling every time.
She ran up to him and snuggled close. Even the summers were
chilly here now. “What are you writing Uncle Asa?” she asked him as she looked
over at the pen and paper that sat on his lap. “I am writing the scriptures”,
he replied. She watched him for what seemed like forever and then sighed. Asa
stopped writing and looked down at her and in kind way asked, “Why are you sighing little one?”
There was a long pause as she thought about her words and
suddenly she erupted into speaking. “Why can’t we stay out here forever the
Tri-Verse is great but you can’t hear the oceans and you can’t write and I
don’t feel the same there even when you’re there and I don’t want to go back.”
He chuckled at her run-on way of speaking in the physical world, as if she
could not get the words out fast enough.
Asa gently patted Tamar’s head, his fresh silver tattoos briefly caught the sunlight. “Connection must be made, Tamar. We must not doubt the
Tri-Verse. We must not run from the uncomfortability. It is this that allows us
to grow with one another in conscience and spirit” He paused as he saw her
frustration “come now, it is time to reconnect to that which makes us whole.”
When you think of the church how do you think this blog relates to them when it comes to the idea of becoming virtual or investing more time in adapting to the virtual world?
ReplyDeleteThis blog relates in a myriad of ways. First, the dialectical approach to religion (as though one must be "all in" or "all out") which is a major theme through out the blog- we don't have to be all in or all out religiously, virtually or spiritually to connect. Second, it relates emotioanlly. You see the emotions of both Tamar and Asa as they connect and disconnect, their lonliness is expressed and their joy. This too relates- how many of us can be lonely in a crowded room? how many of us can feel connected when all there is a screen in front of us? There's a ton of other themes as well but I'll stop with those.
DeleteUh Oh! Plot twist!!!!! So, we are not allowed to doubt?
ReplyDeleteOh Sam... simple simple Sam. Obviously WE are allowed to doubt. What I think is important here is that Asa began as someone who felt doubt was inappropriate and then became so doubtful he left his own community. This is the lesson, without balance you'll have disconnection, you'll have pain. In all things balance.
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