Communion Wine

"There are two aspects to Communion wine: one aspect is the wine itself, the other is the idea of communion. Wine is certainly warming, but communion is a great deal more so" ~ Franny Billingsley

Perhaps the most tragic aspect of Christianity is the loss of the understanding of communion. I'm not here to give a lecture on what you should or shouldn't believe. We already have our beliefs and we are continually forming them. This a not lesson in theology. I'm simply here to unpack the meaning of communion.

I realize this is going to open a can of worms on the very first day, but I think it's one of the most crucial aspects of a life lived to the full. Besides, we cannot go forward until we discuss communion - for it is the very act we intend to delve into when embarking upon this adventure together.

The Oxford dictionary defines communion as such "the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level". I could dissect the contextual Greek derivatives for communion, but I promised this wasn't a lesson in theology. What we grasp simply from looking at both biblical and non-biblical texts, is a concept of deep, mutual vulnerability and sharing that results in a warm companionship. Therefore, the key to communion is ultimately trust. And trust exists truest between unmasked intimacy - which is something that basically scars the pants off everyone. Ha. I see what you did there Liz... Ahem.

Anyway, this brings me in a circular pattern back to the paper faces on parade, my idealistic thoughts about relationships, and the fact that we are going to be wild, groundbreaking, genuine people! Well... at least I will try to be - the rest is up to you. Social media... and the internet are some of the most dangerous places to be vulnerable, so I won't advise you to do anything rash. Remember, I exist under an alias. However, I would challenge you in every day life to remember that real communion can only exist in places of trust and unmasked intimacy.

At some point we've all come to the conclusion that "How are you?" is a very stupid way to greet each other. Perhaps in a time when we weren't constantly moving, striving, producing, multi-tasking... people could actually respond properly to such a greeting. Yet now, perfect acquaintances ask us these things, and we are trained to reply trite "fines" and "oks". At most, women (who are experts at intimacy) may respond "busy or exhausted" which makes only a small dent in our paper faces. While we should all care about the people around us, it isn't realistic or physically possible to ask "How are you?" and truly mean it to everyone. However, it would be good practice, to think of ways to engage people a little more deeply. The tweeting, facebooking, and texting certainly do not help us be more vulnerable with each other. As for those people that you deeply love and want to have full communion with - remember that you may have to be vulnerable with them first to promote the trust you desire from them.

Alright raise your glasses, (mine's full of water) . Here's to true communion - body, mind, and soul. Against many different backgrounds, experiences, socioeconomic statuses, political ideologies, races, fears, loves... may we experience the warmth of communion in its fullest sense.

#Wine, #Communion, #Intimacy