The End of Exile

Well! During this time of transition there are a lot of things on my mind. I really should write more often so that I don't have to try to catalog all of my thoughts at once. Oh well.

The main thing is that I now have a new apartment in the city. My fiance and dad graciously did all the work of moving, so that all I have left to do is a little organizing when I get back. With the end of the summer there is excitment and a little anxiousness (is this the same thing as anxiety?) about the things to come. The summer definitely served it's purpose- I was very still for a while. With the new apartment, which we will live in when we're married, it makes the future seem closer than before. On the drive back to my dad's, I found myself dreaming about all of the possibilities, and trying to think about what I really wanted to be doing in 10, 20, 30 years. There are two dreams: immigration law, and to live off of the land-this is the dream of Jon and I. Immigration law is the goal that is most in sight, but with Jon moving to Texas soon, the dream of living off the land, at least in part, does not seem so impossible. And it's never too soon to start dreaming.

I also found myself wondering, would I be happy if we did became, basically, farmers? And I would be. I don't ever want to be secluded from society, but I also think living off the land would give us the freedom to choose how we interact with society. I think it would be the start of living a creative life, where the possibilities are endless, once I stop catering to the status quo. We could learn how to truly live in community when our lives and our work aren't segragated.

I'm not exactly sure how my present career path can merge with this dream, but I know it's possible. At least I have to believe that it is possible. Even if we live in the city, there are ways to live differently. There are city gardens where people come together to grow vegetables, and there are people to know and commune with.

All this comes in light of finishing the book The Challenge of Jesus by N.T. Wright. He focuses on what specifically did Jesus' actions say, in light of Jewish tradition? He doesn't just look at what the moral lessons are, but at what Jesus' life and death meant, in light of the Torah. Jesus was proclaiming the coming of the Kindgom of God, the end of exile for the Jews. The Jews were in exile for their sin of not following God, and they were looking for the Messiah who whould bring excuplation for the Jewish nation. Jesus brought exculpation- by dieing, he took their sins upon him, which brought the age of forgiveness, the end of exile. By excepting forgiveness, the Jews would become the people of forgiveness, and begin to proclaim the message of redemption to the Gentiles.

For those who follow Christ, and receive the Holy Spirit, a new way of life is possible. We are to proclaim the Kingdom of God- the end of exile- the ability to live free from sin. The point that hits me the hardest is that the the Kingdom of God means the ability to forgive. Individually, we are forgiven, but the outcome is the ability to live a life of outward forgiveness. This means recognizing the pain of the world, and the ways that the world is lost, and loving it anyway. It means approaching the problems of the world with love and humility, not with anger and conceit. We are each to proclaim the end of exile in our own disciplines, no matter what it is. If you work in a discipline that focuses only on profit, in what way can you show that there is a more loving way to provide the same service?

I am inspired by new words to describe the idea and way of life that we all are striving for- "the end of exile". A world where love and forgiveness are possible.

And in wedding news, Jon and I met our Pastor/Rabbi- Roi Garcia! He began by telling us that out of the 350 weddings he's performed, only 2 couples have divorced. He will not marry without evidence of commitment, and he provides Christian counseling- both before the wedding and when ever he is needed, for as long as we want it. He is an ordained minister, a Christ believing Jew. Jon and I could not have asked for a more encouraging wedding officiant! We will be doing counseling with him over the phone. He says the three main issues for married couples are finances, communication, and family. We are excited about the support and guidance Rabbi Roi will give.