AICM Journal Entry #2

12.31.06

In spending time worshipping with the Navajo on the reservation I have the following observations:

1. It was a long drive but totally worth it if for no other reason than to see the land, the wide open spaces (cue cowboy music now), dotted with buttes, a million miles between everything. so much space that your eye can't take in the vastness. It swallows your vision up and leaves you, mouth hanging open, astounded that anything could make you feel so small in comparison. The scale of everything is just enormous. If you've ever seen an infant taking in the world around it, eyes darting back and forth as fast as they can move them, trying in vain to take in every little bit of stimuli that presents itself then you understand the experience of driving up into the Navajo reservation.

2. Singing "Victory in Jesus" in English while everyone around me sang in Navajo reminded me of St. John saying in Revelation that every people, tribe, tongue and nation will stand before the throne in heaven, worshipping Christ together as one voice. I got a glimpse of that today. I couldn't get it out of my mind that what I was looking at was none other than the partial, yet nonetheless beautiful, fulfillment of John's prophecy. It was happening right before my eyes, with the lifting up of song in one voice and two languages.

3. White people or somewhat of a novelty on the rez. But our hosts were gracious and hospitable in a beautiful way, sharing their food and celebration of Christmas and New Year's with us. The Body of Christ was one in the communion that comes through one meal and the fellowship of the saints.

I was thinking about the landscape out here and one word came to mind: violent. Open spaces broken suddenly, violently, by a ridge, a mountain peak, a butte. Canyons dropping off suddenly into oblivion beyond the reach of the eye and the senses. Violent, sudden dramatic and able to dwarf the biggest ego, reducing it to quivering humility at the realization of just how small we are in the scope and space of creation.

shalom, matt