The King and the Mountain

This morning I'm in the mood for serenity. But reading today's newspaper over coffee certainly didn't help! 

This world really is a mess. Rebekah and I had a long date yesterday evening and consequently hadn't seen any evening news reports. So the front page stories of yet another police officer murdered in St. Pete and the brutal killing of four Americans by Somali pirates came as a surprise. If, of course, stuff like that surprises us anymore....

I'm thankful that I'd already taken a long misty morning hike with Scout, spent some deliberate time in meditation and carefully opened my spirit to the new day.

Because there really is no effective way to interface with this broken world outside of the context of daily spiritual renewal.

The picture (above) - taken by Andrew a couple of weeks ago on a hike in Italy - speaks to me of towering strength shrouded in difficult-to-grasp mystery. Faith is like that for me, a rock of certainty in the middle of clouds and fog and darkness. It's not a vague idea, searching for focus, but the very ground I stand on.

Date tie-in: Other than amazing Italian food and great conversation, the highlight of our date yesterday evening was watching THE KING'S SPEECH at the movie theater. It is possibly the best film Rebekah and I have seen in several years, mostly because it was driven by great story and was superbly acted. Colin Firth was brilliant, by the way, as was Geoffery Rush.

The central idea of the movie was all about belief; belief that Firth's character, "Bertie" (King George VI), actually could pull off the big moment when he stood up to talk to millions of people who wanted - in fact needed desperately - to believe in their King. And, then, it was about having the courage to actually step into that belief.

Simply put, Bertie didn't believe he could speak in public; Lionel (his speech therapist) did.

I started today's post by saying that today I'm in the mood for serenity. The real question is if - in the middle of a world that has lost it's way - I honestly believe that serenity is an option?

Believe me, I do.

I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you. I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid. John 14:25-27