Noticing Something

 

    This is the main altar parament for the Lutheran church I semi-attend. I usually only come when the choir is singing, my help is needed/wanted for a service, or Dungeons and Dragons with two different groups. This church was the one I spend all of my childhood at. I was baptized here, confirmed here, and where I thought I would have my wedding when I got older. 

    But church changes. And so do I. As I said, I only come for three specific reasons now (choir, help, D&D). And it was one of those three that brought me to the observations of this main parament. For those who aren't super familiar with church stuff, paraments are the fabrics and embroidered imagery that are placed on the main church spots, mainly the altar and the lectern. These paraments change with the church seasons. Because Lent is the current season, this is purple. 

    What would have been a normal, semi-boring church service turned into a study of this parament toward the end of service. Mainly because of my newly reborn study of numbers (not numerology, more biblical or tarot representation of numbers. Slightly different things) and a chaotic idea. 

    First, the color purple is significant. We usually use it as a color for royalty, but Lent uses it as a reminder to look inward at ourselves and how we treat others. For me, this was the hardest part of Lent, mainly because I was already so consumed by my own negative thoughts of myself (there are two post in particular that reference this feeling here, but I don't remember where they are). Now, due to a new path I have been called to walk, this purple has its more royal connotation back. That I was worth what Jesus did for me, no matter how or when I react to this information. I was (and am) worth receiving this sacrifice from the Son of Man, no matter what I think. 

    Second, I was staring at the mess of gold that is supposed to look like the crown of thorns woven for Jesus by the Romans when he was being beaten before his crucifixion. The longer I looked at it, it looked like a crooked version of the star of David and the medical star symbol. I am not sure that was intended, honestly. But it honestly reminds me that Jesus came to save not only his own Israeli flesh and blood, but to heal and save everyone who came to him. Heck, it was just everyone period. That is how much he cared. 

    Thirdly, I was drawn to the three spikes. It reminded me of the 3 of Swords card in Tarot's minor arcana. For those who aren't familiar with tarot, this normally means heartbreak, betrayal, and just a general sense of loss. Most tarot readers will use that meaning when pulling that card. What I was reminded of was how my old friend Uncle Bronze used that card. For him, the 3 of Swords is more of a sign of someone that is willing to run onto the battlefield for you, ignoring the danger, and taking you back to safety without question. It is that force that will always protect you and back you up, no matter what you do or say between you and that other person. With this little thought, an idea came to me: Jesus is that one. The one that charges through the battlefield to find the ones that need support and guidance, no matter what could hurt you or Him. He grabs you and carries you back to the safety so you can rest and heal. 

    Of course, since I saw the three, I immediately started counting the thorns pointing inward (toward the spikes) and outward (away from the spikes). There were 5 thorns pointing inward and 7 thorns pointing outward. Those numbers in Tarot are interesting. Usually in Tarot, minor arcana cards with the 5s in them are often cards that deal with conflict, chaos, instability, and the general sense of being at a point of madness. 7s, on the other hand, often show a pattern of perseverance, strategy, working, and making choices to progress forward. It seems even here, there is a reminder that in order work through an internal sense of chaos, outward work needs to be done. Not "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" lonely work, but work that requires time, patience, and connections that can help you build what you need to survive the storms. For a lot of people, that includes knowing that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice: dying for the sins of others when he himself was sinless. 

    Jesus is the only figure I have come across in my religious readings that was a sinless figure that died to save others. If you know any others, feel free to message me and share your knowledge with me. I cannot think of another figure in religion or spiritual practices that led a sinless life and chose to die on behalf of those who sinned in every way that could be repulsive to God. He created the new bridge that leads any who who walks it into a rather magnificent world of faith, hope, love, and peace. 

    For those of you who don't believe in Jesus, God, or just general Christian beliefs, I will gladly admit that a lot of this sounds like gibberish. Lots of questions have been posed of this part of Christianity and its religious texts. I wish I had solid answers for all of it. 

    Personally, I find that this path is a fraction of the truth. I find that many of the paths seems to be fractions of the truth. This seems to make a few people around me uncomfortable, but I think its because those people are afraid or disgusted by the thought of exploring beyond their path of faith to see if the path is wider than they think it is. But then again, I grew up in a Lutheran church who reinforced the habit of questioning and exploring everything that you could. A lot of what I write in fiction can be traced back to an idea I've explored in the past. 

    Anywho, enough rambling from me. I just wanted to share all that, mainly because I find it cool that a lot of that stuff connected in my head. It definitely helped me feel like the universe was a little more coherent at a time where everyone seems to want to sit in the past or sit in the comfort zone of their lives. 

    It's time to go explore, everyone. It's time to speak your mind and find those who can help you shape those ideas into action. 

~

Written on 9 April 2025