What the Lord Hath Made Crooked (Part 5 of 10)

The following is a series of attached photos sent from Liza to the group. As usual, we publish typed excerpts of these illuminated texts along with the original photo. The best way is to read the text, of course, is to to experience it in its illuminated form.

16. We liberate these demons through prayer. Andre (and Hasidism) knows whaddup. Prayer can rightfully mean all sorts of things to all sorts of people, of course, but to me prayer is a way of decisive living punctuated by constant inquiry. Am I acting lovingly and gratefully to everything I encounter today? Am I accepting, supportive, and patient in all of my interactions? Am I listening to all that's being communicated with me? Am I trying my best? Am I nurturing the uprooted and nourishing the firmly planted? Am I living the truth? In asking ourselves these questions and, ultimately, in being on the side of light and life, we are actively fighting our demons and offering a hand to our brothers and sisters in fighting their own. For what these demons desire and require from us in order to thrive is first and foremost oblivion. In resisting detection, it's unlikely to be challenged. If detected, the demon's aim is to lure us into a spiritual state so despondent that we stop seeing ourselves as the mystical body of Christ and instead see ourselves as in the image and likeness of the devil.

20. (Excuse my wonky numbering) However! to look upon this horror and utilize our repulsion to propel us closer to God is the most brutal form of attack against this demonic presence. And because I can't possibly stress it enough, the way in which we utilize this repulsion is through daily positive intent, humility, determination, patience, love, and personified prayer. Each failure to extend these virtues into our daily interactions is, of course, a victory for the devil, but each of these victories is squandered when reconfigured as a breadcrumb like blessing that guides us back to our path. I say (wrote) "All our lives it will be like this" because there is no earthly end; in place of an ending there are only endless opportunities for new beginnings. Cast off your disdain and you'll see that it's not the end, but only a disguise for a welcoming celebration (Rumi). We must, again, remember that life is a procession, that "to be" is "to grow," and the only way to grow (toward heaven) is to remain on our path or be in the process of making it back to the path. We are of one phase and of all phases. Evil propels us and reform of evil desire propels us.
21. God does not expect, nor does He desire, for us to come to Him with the answers. He merely asks for us to make ourselves worthy of receiving them someday by living our lives as learners, not as knowers. It's here that we again get a glimpse into the understanding that every struggle and failure is indeed a blessing. Our weaknesses, our sufferings, our impatience, our wandering—these are each, in their own little ways, our teachers, our guides from beyond. It's my belief that we make ourselves worthy not in a solemn and steady procession toward death, but rather in a joyful and hopeful procession through death. It's only in dying in this life that we can ever hope to find eternal life in the next one.
22. I've a letter's length to expound on "bringing religion to schools."

That, and more, up next! Liza

My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon." - Mizuta Masahide