apostle-therock-peter

[apostle-therock-peter]

shout out to the Jesus prayer. it literally works in any situation. whenever I am praying and can't find words but want to express something, I find that, whatever it is, I can express it perfectly by saying "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on [me, a sinner / us sinners], amen." it has genuinely never failed me

[apostle-therock-peter]

why does being forgiven feel worse than punishing myself?

Because you still feel like you deserve to be punished. I remember begging God to punish me but only feeling His forgiveness. Allowing yourself to be forgiven is quite difficult, but it is such a beautiful relief in the end.

[apostle-therock-peter]

Such an out of the blue question but I’m genuinely curious because I’m still learning, I don’t know if it’s a cultural thing but I’ve seen multiple instances on here where Mary Magdalene is seen or mentioned as a lesbian. How come?

Firstly, the definition of lesbian is more complicated to pin down than people realize (the definition has changed several times). Secondly, when looking at history (especially since for centuries, society has not even considered lesbianism possible) many assume that women who do not center her life around sex/marriage with men could be potentially lesbians. And to be frank, this might be presumptuous, however, since we lack so much material history on lesbianism (due to women's lives being less documented than men's), this presumption might be necessary if lesbians are to have any historical memory.

Mary Magdalene is one of the few women in the New Testament not identified with a man as a part of her title. "Magdalene" is arguably a place-name meaning "tower" in Hebrew - which is likely referring to the location that is now the village of al-Majdal in Palestine.

Her lack of husband and children indicates that she had no heterosexual partnership. Her relationship with Jesus Christ seems most likely platonic, however extremely deep and spiritual. She seems to have a fair amount of influence in the mission, and Jesus clearly trusted her to be the first apostle. Therefore, I do not think it is unreasonable to discuss if she could have been a lesbian. It makes sense why lesbians often identify with Mary Magdalene, especially considering how many sexual minorities (especially sex workers) do so as well.

[apostle-therock-peter]

[apostle-therock-peter]

at its root, genesis 3 (the fall of humanity) is a mythology that tells a story of humans transitioning into agricultural societies and civilizations... and all the messiness that entails.

[apostle-therock-peter]

at its root, genesis 3 (the fall of humanity) is a mythology that tells a story of humans transitioning into agricultural societies and civilizations... and all the messiness that entails.

[apostle-therock-peter]

“To die for God is not a proof of faith in God. To die for an unknown and repulsive convict who is a victim of injustice, that is a proof of faith in God.”

— Simone Weil

[apostle-therock-peter]

I hold these tenets to be true in my heart; they are my lamp when I am in the darkness:

God loves us.

Our home is with God and we inevitably return to God in one way or another.

We cannot return to God with our egos intact. We must be emptied like Christ on the cross.

I hope this can be a comfort to you as well.

[apostle-therock-peter]

Me: "I'm deconstructing my Christianity!"

Random Ppl: "Oh, so you're an atheist?"

(bad) Christians: "You were never a real Christian! You are straying from your faith!"

Me: "No... I'm finally disowning a misinterpreted, mistranslated, out-of-context Biblical view of a God who hates me for who I am, and slowly replacing it with accurate Biblical view of a God of unconditional love. I am rediscovering the God I used to love but lost sight of, who made beautifully queer."

Written by @storythecat

[apostle-therock-peter]

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

-1 John 4:11 NIV

[apostle-therock-peter]

The Illustrated Book of Manners: A Manual of Good Behavior and Polite Accomplishments, 1866

[apostle-therock-peter]

“It may be tempting to make the flesh vanish. But rejection of carnality is the other side of the system that projects it onto others. Bodies are always susceptible to the exercise of power. However, the susceptibility to being shaped by the world is also the basis of all life and all knowledge. Flesh is a constitutive relation to the world – a condition for corporeal survival and flourishing as well as the source of its vulnerability. Rather that abandon flesh to live in the body, we need to reevaluate the rejected traits of carnality – its links to the material elements, its frailty and changeability. And I find in the carnal strand of Christian imaginaries resources for this project. They offer a crucial insight: unless I can embrace my own flesh, and its beginnings in the flesh of another, I cannot love other fleshly beings – nor can I understand the incarnation. What is at stake for them is nothing less than the possibility of love. In Christian texts, God is the initiator and model for such an embrace of flesh. Infusing earth with love, God creates. Becoming flesh, in birth and suffering, God re-creates. Christians are called to remember these stories, to see themselves in the transformations that they depict, to imitate God and be born again ... (T)he incarnation brings to mind and may help us reevaluate carnal/earthy bonds as grounds for a commitment to a shared life. It may remind us that the most significant events, the most loving, the most life giving, require consenting to being flesh.”

Mayra Rivera, Poetics of the Flesh

[apostle-therock-peter]

well first of all we’re supposed to conform ourselves to Christ, not to gender, so jot that down—

[apostle-therock-peter]

Sorry, but I'd rather accidentally love too many people than too few. I'd rather accidentally welcome people I'm not supposed to than exclude people I'm supposed to welcome. I think God looks much more kindly on one of those than the other.

[apostle-therock-peter]

Donald Revell, from "Alphabet City: An Autobiography", Drought-Adapted Vine

[apostle-therock-peter]

Matthias Stom  (1600 – 1652)

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (detail) 1640–1649

[apostle-therock-peter]

Nicholas Roerich, Battle in the Heavens (1912)