uniting the unlike
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1
"Hey, you guys need to go the front room," says Michael to David and I, "we're about to have a key-giving ceremony".
I'm at Imagine Art, the "city" of disabled artists, vistas and the rest of us. David and I are brainstorming about space, as in we need more of it, when Michael makes this announcement. Michael is one of our five vistas - part of a state program that allows them to work at a non-profit and make poverty level wages. A dream come true. All in their twenties and full of energy and vision, we call the vistas our fab five. They are fabulous.
Our newest vista Jennifer has not been given a key to the house. This is not because of a lack of trust, but an oversight. The other vistas have crafted a special key chain out of colorful paperclips. David and I have been instructed to wait in the studio, which is packed out with artists.
From the front room of the house we hear Michael begin to sing. "Oh, SAY can YOU see, by the dawn's early light..."
"Why is he singing that?" I say to David. Michael is marching Jennifer through the kitchen - which takes about 4 steps - where she is met by vistas Ruthi, Polly and Monica. They join in the singing and marching. "By the dawn's early light, by the rocket's red glare..." Jennifer doesn't know whether to laugh or cry - she has no idea what's happening.
This is a good time to mention my favorite new joke. How do crazy people get through the forest? Down the psycho path.
David and I join the singing as they approach the studio, waving our hands in the air to mimic banners. "But the flag was still there...Oh SAY can YOU see..." Several of the artists stand to join in. Several ignore us. Some things never change. Several sing with serious faces, hands over hearts, patriotically. Jennifer is presented to David with a flourish. I can't stop laughing.
"Because we think you've more than earned this, because we know you are truly trustworthy and only haven't received this because we forgot - here Jennifer is your key to the city of Imagine Art," says David.
There is much applause. Much ado over the beautifully crafted paperclip key chain. Much relief on Jennifer's part.
Our little community is growing; we may be small on space, but we are big on vision, big in heart. We are restless, discontent with the status quo. We want to see the unlike united. We want to do life with the ones that have no life.
Heaven can't come to earth if we are united only with our likeminded Christian friends. If it's safe, it's probably not Jesus. We have to go, we have to be Jesus. When you are addicted to being in His presence, when it's all you want, you will go after this. It's the only place to find Him.
My Passion friends are in Kyiv today, getting ready to be Jesus tomorrow night to what I'm sure will be a rowdy group of expectant Jesus lovers. I am with them in spirit, but happy and content to be here for now. I'm grocery shopping at the HEB off of E. 7th, buying a pound of sweet potatoes for artist Tien, who is overjoyed with this purchase. She keeps it real for me.
Say a prayer for Imagine Art. Say a prayer for Passion. Watch the video below and thank our GOD that JESUS IS ALIVE!