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From the New York Daily News: “Gwyneth Paltrow is causing controversy again with a statement on her lifestyle website Goop about her belief that water might have feelings.
The
41-year-old actress, who recently split from her husband Chris Martin, endorsed
the work of Japanese doctor Masuru Emoto, who has published several books on
the theory that human consciousness can change the structure of water.
"I
have long had Dr. Emoto's coffee table book on how negativity changes the
structure of water," Paltrow wrote on her blog. "How the molecules
behave differently depending on the words or music being expressed around
it."
"I
am fascinated by the growing science behind the energy of consciousness and its
effects on matter," Paltrow added.
Paltrow
goes on to share the theories of Emoto through Dr. Habib Sadeghi in her
newsletter. In his column, Sadeghi claims he "proved that energy generated
by positive or negative words can actually change the physical structure of an
object."
Just
the other evening, waiting to have dinner, my husband & I watched for a
moment on Fox that somewhat insufferable show TMZ. It’s your basic ad hoc Hollywood Inquirer
magazine with several paparazzi “news” reporters who are more or less set out
upon making fun of celebrities.
Tonight’s
episode was no exception except for the fact that two spiritual, theological “flags”
rose up for me in hearing about the actress’ scientific fascination with water:
a. Biblically we have always understood “water” as the source of life b.
Theologically the waters of Baptism & Jesus’ own Words (in the Gospel of
John that is) often allude to water spiritually cleansing and converting us.
I
highly doubt that water has feelings... but perhaps what Ms. Paltrow discovered
without even seeking it is the realm and reality of the Spirit. The spiritual nature and our “collisions”
with the Spirit working in our lives most often doesn’t make sense to the world
outside of our individual encounters with God.
For
instance, When I have often shared (at this time of year, especially) my
conversion experience and how definitely, unequivocally REAL it was... most
people have a hard time either believing it or wonder if you’re off your
rocker! I DID however most clearly heard
God’s voice speaking to me at that one service to my heart to hear and live
into a whole new plan he had designed for me to be in ministry!
My
husband has an idyllic memory I don’t, except for that very moment in time and
space, 11 years ago, where the God’s Holy Spirit transformed my whole entire
person into who I am today. The tears
shed at that service hearing God WERE a renewal of my Baptism—living water,
feeding a drought soaked soul. I didn’t
hear today’s Gospel text exactly but the reality and outcome of this text IS
what was experienced:
“37b...
while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come
to me, 38and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture
has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” 39aNow
he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive...”
Who
am I though? I’m just one of millions of Christians, hopefully not hiding their
faith journey away from the scoffers in the world. Conversion IS REAL: Preach it & Teach it! The Spirit of God IS real as well as
TRANSFORMATIVE. But in our worldly
culture of “A Sunday-only time-slot” for God and the rest of the week being
devoted to truthfully intellectual idolatry, Epicureanism and
indifference... We find the mind-numbing
sarcasm of the cartoon-like “jesters” in TMZ to speak what we really, “rationally”
think about the spiritual and someone’s beliefs.
Hearing
all of today’s text from Luke’s book of Acts, do we paint a picture of
imagining those lit flames atop the Apostles heads? Do we truthfully imagine or fathom every one
speaking through the Spirit—the unruly Holy Spirit flowing through us as the
voice and direction of God guiding our footsteps down the road into the
Lifestyle of GRACE? If we confess any of
the creeds of our “united” faith, yes we are “supposed” to believe!
Our
Pentecostal brothers and sisters have perhaps to other opinions gone too far in
realizing an understanding of that day painted so beautifully by St. Luke in
his book of Acts. Just that one thing
stuck out the most for them in sparking their faith and affirmation of the Holy
Spirit and His works: Speaking in tongues.
Do
many though, even in our own faith circles, ever wonder if they’re just off
their rocker when they engage in that “act” of faith? All I have to say is, who are we to judge and
control the Holy Spirit?... We HAVE no
control over the Holy Spirit but WE are challenged through GRACE to become
aware of His glorious presence working, in, with and through us as the flowing
water of life, passionate flame within the heart, breathy Words spoken to the
Soul to CHANGE for His Kingdom’s sake!
This
past week I went with some friends to “Starved” Rock state park in Utica,
Illinois. Looking over a Cliffside on a
patio sipping iced teas we talked about God working in our lives through us,
affirming and challenging us. The
flowing green leaves of the beauty of God’s creation met the edge of the very
blue, crystal clear skies... Its boundless depth soaked into our over-flowing
Words of the Spirit. How much we love
God, why we are here and How Much God has given us purpose and reason to LIVE
for HIM—loving HIM and neighbor!
The
Words flowed out from us without rhyme or reason except KNOWING deeply, in
UNITY with Christ Jesus where our New journeys now lie ahead for us. To the World, this moment was just a few
seminary friends spending what little money they had to travel some 110 miles
out west in the middle of Illinois to have a nice afternoon conversation and
some iced tea. Doesn’t sound like much
of anything at all, does it? Perhaps
even praying at the table before we sojourned our way back to our homes caught
glances and murmurs...
The
faith journey of the disciple is one to always live into that Pentecost
reality. The more you become aware of the Spirit’s presence IN you, Working
through you, the more you will never be thirsty yet alone “starved.” God’s Word and Work in your life is what
realizes the magnificence of GRACE—real, lived, breathed and spoken!
Just
as Jesus commissioned His disciples in another chapter of John’s Gospel we need
to hear these Words echo through our daily journeys: “21b.... “Peace
be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he
had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Receive needs to be heard for us in the here and now as—BE or become receptive
for you cannot control when, where or how God’s Holy Spirit will be speaking to
you, through you or using you to bear fruit you never knew you had!
The
one statement Evangelical Rob Bell made is simple enough but profoundly true: “everything
IS spiritual...” He probably has been
cast aside like many others such as Ms. Paltrow who we talked about earlier as
being ridiculous and naïve. No one ever
said living into the lifestyle of GRACE truly and truthfully would ever be
easy... We must persevere with great
FAITH unashamed and washing away the persecuting scoffers, purveyors of “worldly
culture, logic...” To BE Faith filled is
to live into being faithful to proclaim, WITNESS to how God’s Holy Spirit is
ubiquitous in us and on this temporary earthly plain!
AMEN
Day of Pentecost; Year A; June 8th,
2014; SOLA Lectionary Nicole
Collins
Psalm 25:1-15; Numbers 11:24-30;
Acts 2:1-21; John 7:37-39
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