Here are a couple of dangerous revelations.  No kidding.

Wars still are fought as a result of them, and at one time wars were fought regularly as a result of them.  And even if people are less willing today to take up weapons, the gossip, shunning and bullying that goes on can be just as deadly - and as evil - as any war.

Please understand that in almost any endeavor, no matter how advanced you become, most of your work will deal with the basics.  And that is the case here.  Two dangerous revelations concerning "Where the rubber meets the road" in theology - especially the theology of leading your daily life.

For some, they are obvious.  For others, they seem hard to grasp. 

You might call them principles - I sometimes do.  You might also call them secrets.  They can also qualify as weapons.

But they are two dangerous revelations.  You'll see what I mean.

And you might also be able to see what we're building here!

What do you do when you get hurt?

Well, if you really get hurt, one of the things that will happen is a lot of advice, much of it unsolicited, some of it downright unwelcome, and more than you want of it will be of no real use!

What do you do?

This is one of those "dangerous topics" I alluded to a couple of shows ago, and it is something that can happen to anyone, anytime.  And there appear to be very few people who have actual skills in dealing with it, much less the ability to advise others on it.

So then, why am I talking about it?  Nothing makes me so special as to offer advice as to what to do when you're hurting. 

Perhaps instead, I will show you where to look and what to beware of.  And then, you'll be in a better position to find your own answers.  I've been talking about the importance of finding your own answers, and this subject is no exception.

And when this is something you're experiencing, that's what you need: your own answers that work for you.

If you deal with anything spiritual, some topics are dangerous.

More correctly, some people will see certain topics as dangerous.  Whether they actually are dangerous is for you to decide, but some people will indeed see certain topics as dangerous.

And, their actions when confronted with a dangerous topic are predictable.  They might ignore it.  They might use it for their own agenda.  They might cook up their own theory and hope you'll believe it.  Or, they might stir up a big fuss, even if it's really over nothing.

Most often, they see the questions as dangerous because they cause folks like me (and you?) to ask questions that do not have easy answers.

You may have already figured out that it is in confronting those dangerous questions that you find the real answers.  One thing should be apparent to you: the questions will not go away.

I spend a lot of time dealing with what many consider to be dangerous topics.  And so, before we get even further into dangerous topics, let's take the time to examine the topic of dangerous topics.

 

Spiritual first aid?  Of course!  A couple of basic facts need to be acknowledged and dealt with as reality.   

I see it, nobody forges new ground spiritually and gets away with it.  There will always be attackers and detractors for those who try "something different", even (or especially) if it is actually re-discovering something that everyone else forgot.

And, lest we forget, the easiest way to get some people to hate you is for you to do something well. 

Of course, there is also the fact that there are so many of us who came upon our spiritual path as a result of trauma suffered on another spiritual path.

And so, there is need for spiritual first aid.

As a cadet, I experienced an Army training film on basic first aid in combat situations.  The film is indelibly etched in my mind, particularly the three steps in immediate wound care: Stop The Bleeding, Protect The Wound, Treat For Shock.  After all these years, those words echo in my memory along with other bits of wisdom from the film, such as: "Use his first aid kit - you may need yours later."

And there are some basic steps in spiritual first aid.

We do need to know about spiritual first aid.  There is one difference between spiritual first aid and the kind of first aid you learn in a Red Cross class.  For spiritual first aid, the most important first aid you give is the first aid you give to yourself.  And there's a reason for that.

The most important person in bringing about your healing is you.

 

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