Theophany
Welcome traveler, and thank
you for visiting. There are a few things that might be of interest to
you as you pause here at http://www.theophany.biz
You can look up the official
meaning of theophany (see "theophany" in the dictionary), and for my purpose
here it can be understand as: the revealing of the Divine, the appearance
of God in a powerful way…in my life. I am not saying that I am divine,
or that the Divine has shown up in some unique way here. I am saying
that in living this one life, I have experienced the presence of the
Divine Wonder, and that such can be the life of anyone.
I have lived for a few decades
now and my life’s journey has meandered through a mirid of experiences.
Some of the pieces that make me who I am are as follows.
- I was born on the East coast
and grew up in a ‘beach’town. I feel at home most with my feet in
the sand and my mind floating on the sea, although being ‘at sea’
has only limited appeal to me. I now live a bit over four hours from
the coast and plan to move back toward the sand and surf in the years
ahead.
- I have a college degree (and
still can’t spell worth a damn), a graduate degree from Seminary,
and I spent 15 years as a pastor with a mainline denomination.
- I have always been a creative
type, and have expressed that creativity through writing and acting.
I acted professionally (meaning I was paid) with a North Carolina Shakespeare
company. Some of my writing has been published, mostly in religious
periodicals and newspapers. I do not consider my creative work to necessarily
be of any special quality and I know that it is important to me. The
degree to which it allowed me to access my feelings and be more alive,
kept me alive and hopeful when much of my world was in chaos or seemed
stale.
- I am a recovering drug addict.
During my adult years, I became severely addicted to prescription pain
medications. My addiction cost me my career, my ministry credentials
and left me with a criminal record. The great blessing that came out
of this, is that I found a 12 step recovery program and have been ‘clean
and serene’ since July 10, 1999.
- My first marriage failed,
I believe, equally because of my addiction issues and my former wife’s
emotional issues.
- I am married for a second
time. I would describe my marriage now as very happy.
- Aside from this blog, my
hobbies consist of hiking and mountain biking. I try to eat healthy
and exercise regularly. I tend to obsess over anything I try to do.
What you will find here then
is a glimpse into my life. I will write about all of the above. Sometimes
I write poetry. Sometimes I write stories, or post a piece from a book
I’ve been writing for five years (I have no goal to finish, so I probably
never will). I may just post a quick thought that needs to be released
from my head.
There are moments, occasions,
when the words inscribed upon the page so precisely reflect the purest
of human truth that the chasm between us and the divine is bridged,
and we are changed. Such moments are my theophany at its best.
In short, what you may find
here is an open account of one man’s journey. If you pause here and
find some meaning in what I share, please feel free to let me know.
I like that sort of thing.
Namaste’,
Theo
