"There’s a part of me that will always feel at home in the PNW." This Midwest flatlander gives a hearty "aye!" Last two annual getaways to PNW have been life giving.
Helpful thoughts here on holiness and wholeness. The former is so familiar in my Christian lexicon that it's lost its power. The idea of perfection can be tainted for me with a strong inner critic voice. Wholeness (goodness, shalom and integrity come to mind) moves me toward Christ in whom all things hold together and where there is no division.
Jonathan, I like your extension of wholeness to goodness, shalom, and integrity as opposed to perfection. These seem to allow more space for healing toward and pursuit of wholeness. Sanctification, even.
On another note, where do you visit in the PNW (if I can ask)? I grew up in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
While one might be familiar with the concept of wholeness being something we all long for, I now want to add that living life awake is also something to be longed for. I am new to your posts so I Thank you for this new awakening. Looking forward to hearing about how you came to use “Dragons” in your title….
Thanks for reading, Serene! I appreciate your reflection. As you noted, I only allude to the use of dragons in the title toward the end of this particular essay, but I offer more on where this came from in this post:
Tyler, I just reread this after a curious dive into Psalm 57:8, which in the ESV states, "Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!" I have been comparing translations of this verse out of curiosity . . . many suggest, "I will awake AT dawn" and others suggest that the speaker is "awaking" the dawn itself. VERY different ideas. The NIV says "I will awaken the dawn." Given that I might respond to this psalm in poetry : ) , what are your thoughts on these translations? No expert study needed. Just curious as to what you think about the two meanings and uses of "awake."
Great question! Particularly given the ambiguity of even the Hebrew for "dawn" in this passage (see the BLB link below), I can understand the different translations (KJV even has the simple "I will awake early"). I'd think suggestions it should be "I will awake AT dawn" would come from the lack of clarity in the Hebrew vs. an assumption that "I will awake dawn" was grammatically incorrect. The NIV shows this adherence to the sense of "dawn" as the noun, but also shows the growing preference in English to use "awaken" instead of "awake" in transitive cases.
Does that answer your question? These are just some quick thoughts on yours. I'd be curious to know what else you find on this!
Hello from a new reader (I came here from Rabbit Room Poetry).
I think Jesus was working with a similar understanding of holiness in the sermon on the mount, at the end of chapter 5, when he said, be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. It sounds almost just like the Levitical command to be holy as the Lord is holy, but Jesus used the word “teleios” which of course has the idea of completeness, wholeness, something reaching its goal or being healed. So for Jesus, being a whole human being is being a holy human being.
Welcome! Glad to have you in the conversation here, Levi.
Great callout—I completely agree. Fascinating to see much of the same meaning in "teleios" as OE "hal-." I'm finding it can also mean "come of age" or even refer to a period at the end of a sentence, indicating fulfillment. Wiktionary even has this related (somehow—I wouldn't dare try to explain it) to English "wheel." I digress a bit, but I'm just finding these inklings of "wholeness" infinitely more inviting when compared to the expectations we tend to put on ourselves and others. "Come, be whole," sounds like grace. I like the way you phrased it: "for Jesus, being a whole human being is being a holy human being."
What a great way to start the day. Thank you for inviting us into the process.
I agree! Wassailing wholeness 😀
"There’s a part of me that will always feel at home in the PNW." This Midwest flatlander gives a hearty "aye!" Last two annual getaways to PNW have been life giving.
Helpful thoughts here on holiness and wholeness. The former is so familiar in my Christian lexicon that it's lost its power. The idea of perfection can be tainted for me with a strong inner critic voice. Wholeness (goodness, shalom and integrity come to mind) moves me toward Christ in whom all things hold together and where there is no division.
Jonathan, I like your extension of wholeness to goodness, shalom, and integrity as opposed to perfection. These seem to allow more space for healing toward and pursuit of wholeness. Sanctification, even.
On another note, where do you visit in the PNW (if I can ask)? I grew up in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
While one might be familiar with the concept of wholeness being something we all long for, I now want to add that living life awake is also something to be longed for. I am new to your posts so I Thank you for this new awakening. Looking forward to hearing about how you came to use “Dragons” in your title….
Thanks for reading, Serene! I appreciate your reflection. As you noted, I only allude to the use of dragons in the title toward the end of this particular essay, but I offer more on where this came from in this post:
https://www.awakingdragons.com/p/behind-the-name
Here is an example of my art
Sorry my photo would not post
Tyler, I just reread this after a curious dive into Psalm 57:8, which in the ESV states, "Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!" I have been comparing translations of this verse out of curiosity . . . many suggest, "I will awake AT dawn" and others suggest that the speaker is "awaking" the dawn itself. VERY different ideas. The NIV says "I will awaken the dawn." Given that I might respond to this psalm in poetry : ) , what are your thoughts on these translations? No expert study needed. Just curious as to what you think about the two meanings and uses of "awake."
Great question! Particularly given the ambiguity of even the Hebrew for "dawn" in this passage (see the BLB link below), I can understand the different translations (KJV even has the simple "I will awake early"). I'd think suggestions it should be "I will awake AT dawn" would come from the lack of clarity in the Hebrew vs. an assumption that "I will awake dawn" was grammatically incorrect. The NIV shows this adherence to the sense of "dawn" as the noun, but also shows the growing preference in English to use "awaken" instead of "awake" in transitive cases.
Does that answer your question? These are just some quick thoughts on yours. I'd be curious to know what else you find on this!
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7837/esv/wlc/0-1/
Oct 2023 - Oregon Coast, Eugene, Silverton, Silver Falls SP, Mt Hood
Sep 2024 - N Cascades NP, Olympic NP
Felt like coming home to a place I'd never been. Beautiful. Of course the weather was idyllic both times!
So fun. There's no place quite like it!
Hello from a new reader (I came here from Rabbit Room Poetry).
I think Jesus was working with a similar understanding of holiness in the sermon on the mount, at the end of chapter 5, when he said, be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. It sounds almost just like the Levitical command to be holy as the Lord is holy, but Jesus used the word “teleios” which of course has the idea of completeness, wholeness, something reaching its goal or being healed. So for Jesus, being a whole human being is being a holy human being.
Welcome! Glad to have you in the conversation here, Levi.
Great callout—I completely agree. Fascinating to see much of the same meaning in "teleios" as OE "hal-." I'm finding it can also mean "come of age" or even refer to a period at the end of a sentence, indicating fulfillment. Wiktionary even has this related (somehow—I wouldn't dare try to explain it) to English "wheel." I digress a bit, but I'm just finding these inklings of "wholeness" infinitely more inviting when compared to the expectations we tend to put on ourselves and others. "Come, be whole," sounds like grace. I like the way you phrased it: "for Jesus, being a whole human being is being a holy human being."
Thanks for pointing out this passage!