Much To Ponder - Blog Posts

I cant tell if I am incapable of picturing things or just being silly, because I can see my dreams when I (rarely) do have them. And sometimes when I am about to go to sleep but not sleeping yet can imagine a scenario and visually see that if I try, but then again I can’t picture things when people tell me to think of something, like “picture an apple.” I close my eyes and see nothing but pitch black. I also want to know if people can like really close their eyes and see an apple? Like- I want to know how someone pictures things so swiftly and what not.

today’s lectionary texts—acts 5:27–32, psalm 118:14–29, revelation 1:9–11a, 12–13, 17–19, and john 20:19–31—are so densely interwoven it’s practically rabbinic. it’s the second sunday of easter, which historically functioned as a liturgical echo chamber for the resurrection. but today’s selections aren’t just liturgical filler—they’re deliberate theological architecture. acts 5:27–32 put you into a post pentecost context where peter and the apostles, fresh off their spirit induced empowerment, confront the sanhedrin. the line “we must obey god rather than men” (δεῖ ἀνθρώποις πειθαρχεῖν μᾶλλον ἢ τῷ θεῷ) is almost a second century anachronism. it anticipates martyrdom theology, rooted in texts like daniel 3 and 6, but also anticipates justin martyr and tertullian’s apologetics. it reframes civic disobedience as divine allegiance.

psalm 118 functions as a hinge text. it's the last of the hallel psalms (113–118), used during passover, which already overlays a liberation motif onto resurrection. “the stone the builders rejected” (v. 22) gets picked up in matt 21:42, mark 12:10, luke 20:17, and here again as a kind of post easter hermeneutical key. the rejected messiah becomes the cornerstone of a new ekklesia. it's also worth noting how this psalm was used in second temple processionals. what begins as royal liturgy becomes political protest. revelation 1:9–19 layers on the apocalyptic. john of patmos positions himself in exile “because of the word of god and the testimony of jesus”—a deliberate mirroring of the acts narrative. christ appears “like a son of man” (ὅμοιον υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου), drawing straight from daniel 7, but recoded with roman imperial aesthetics: golden sash, bronze feet, sword mouth. it’s not just christological—it’s anti imperial polemic. domitian’s empire is the beast; the risen christ is pantokrator. then john 20:19–31. locked room. fear. sudden appearance. peace (εἰρήνη ὑμῖν), said twice. jesus breathes on them—enephýsen—an echo of gen 2:7 and ezek 37. this is a new creation moment, a new adam breathing life into a new humanity. and thomas, often unfairly dubbed “doubting,” functions more like a johannine stand-in for the reader. he gets to touch the wound (typos), an embodied epistemology. and yet, the final beatitude—“blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”—extends the narrative beyond history into faith. the whole text folds time like a chiasm. so yeah. today is about post resurrection defiance, counter temple theologies, radical reinterpretations of jewish liturgy, imperial subversion via apocalyptic aesthetics, and an invitation to epistemic humility. it’s theology as resistance literature.

i think about this alot but every moment in jesus' life, at least as the texts present it, isn't necessarily centered on him , it's constantly exposing something about us. our assumptions about power, purity, divinity. the story isn’t just telling us what happened, it’s pressing on the limits of what we’re even able to recognize. and still, after two thousand years, people keep trying to make him into something they can categorize!! i think the real issue with how people use jesus today is that they’re trying to shape him into something he’s not or something that aligns with their own biases. and how people today—and have always—manipulate jesus’ image for political gain. whether that’s for conservative, liberal, (conservative) or any other kind of agenda. but what gets lost in all that is the way the gospels keep pushing against all those neat categories people try to slot him into. jesus doesn’t just fit into any of them. look at moments like when he talks about the kingdom of god. it’s this counterintuitive concept. it’s not about power in the way anyone expects. like, when he says in luke (17:20-21), "the kingdom of god is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘look, here it is!’ or ‘there!’ for, in fact, the kingdom of god is among you." it’s clear that the way people are thinking about power, this idea of a political, military messiah, is entirely wrong. jesus obviously doesn’t fit that mold at all. or take (mark 10:17-27). of this guy, comes up to jesus with this well-defined idea of what being good means. he thinks he’s got everything in order, but jesus challenges the very foundation of his idea of righteousness. “go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. then come, follow me." it’s not just a moral lesson, it’s a direct challenge to his worldview. and it’s not just about wealth, it’s about how deeply rooted our assumptions are in our understanding of power, success, and the way the world is supposed to work. the irony is that people today religious or not keep trying to fit him into their own worldview. they cherry pick the parts of the gospels that align with their values, ignoring the parts that challenge them. whether it’s a political narrative or a social one, they want to mold jesus into a figure that supports their existing beliefs rather than actually dealing with the radical, uncomfortable things he said! take the whole debate about who’s “worthy” or who’s “in” in the gospels. every time someone asks jesus who’s going to get into the kingdom, the answer is always surprising. it’s always someone you wouldn’t expect. the righteous are never who you think they are.

Finally have all 4 life stages let's gooo

ur critters inspired me to make my own wemmbu critter on ponytown

(idk if this formatted right im on mobile)

oh, stupid little thing... critter... i love that my dumb little critters actually inspire people, i love them...