Jesus Christ and Piracy

Alright, my salty scalawags. There's too much to do and too little time. Even then, I don't use my time especially well.

Speaking of pirates, I want the world to be filled with pirates! Disney pirates anyway. Did you see Stardust? Do you recall when he met Captain Shakespeare? I loved the whole setup: collecting lightning illegally, the port on the edge of a cliff, bargaining with the trader, and everything.

I've started reading about real pirates again, and there was a caste of such cutthroats that broke the law mainly in response to the crippling regulations their governments were implementing. That's the kind of pirate I love: not fueled by greed — but fueled by indignation. My alter ego, Captain Wolph, has a ship called The Indignation.

Gah! I have a whole slew of pirate tales to tell — but not today.

In The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pirates, the author writes

By the fifteenth century, after these men and women had tasted the freedom the piracy granted them over such severe governmental laws that even dictated the styles of clothes and colors they were legally allowed to wear, they had no desire to return to a lawful life.

Beautiful!

I was once condemned for behaving like a bohemian. True enough, I've behaved unconventionally. Admittedly, I've been given many luxuries. Still, I've had a taste. I described it in Life Outside the Bowl. "I can't go back."

I have "no desire to return to a lawful life." Lesser men have survived on less than I have, and I think it's high time I taste the salt on the high seas.

I was talking to a friend today about piecing together one's livelihood with multiple part-time jobs. She said, "it's more stressful but more free."

I think it's funny how many Christians get uppity about insurances and money and security and savings and and and. I have been warned many times about "and" religion: Christ and health, Christ and jobs, Christ and money, Christ and And AND.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

I ... did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ... My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Nothing but "Jesus Christ and him crucified." (Here, "and" merely mentions Christ's sacrifice, so it's just part of Christ).

Thus, all we have is Christ.

But we are addicted to our condiments. "A sprinkling of money, a dash of appearance, a pinch of reputation, a couple scoops of contemporary culture, and we've got the makings of the perfect Christian life!"

Now, dude, if you don't believe in Jesus, that's just fine and dandy. You can make up your own rules; have at it. Power to you. Pip pip, cheerio.

But, if you do believe in Jesus — and I know that nobody's perfect — but, if you do believe in Jesus, how can you go on excusing the pervasive anxiety that you drink like water?

I'm talking to everyone, but I'm mostly talking to myself.

I cannot tell you how many ands I've appended to Christ: Christ and money, Christ and creativity, Christ and friends, Christ and family, Christ and work, Christ and safety, Christ and And AND.

It's clogging up my soul.

However, back to piracy: There are many who have "dictated the styles" of the Christian life. The more I live, the more I see that these "styles" are fabricated anxiety-factories.

People often poke fun at me for how much I hate rules and labels. I love rules and labels! I utterly and endlessly despise fake rules and labels. Thus, the "dictated styles" are disgusting, and I'm tired of them.

What am I trying to say in all this? I'm saying I want to be a pirate for the Lord. I want to cling only to Him and, in all else, live raucously and freely.

I have "no desire to return to a lawful life," and I pray that God will keep me at peace within His grace and mercy.