I started seminary in 2020, yes that crazy 2020. I wanted a place to share my journey and this is the result. At the time, I wrote for my technical blog, which still gets a few readers and downloads each week. I guess people still need info on old data problems.
In 2016 I went on the “Cruise to Hell”. Yes, you read that right. It was a Carnival cruise that stopped in at the Cayman Islands, and we drove to the town of Hell, Grand Cayman. I can confirm that Hell is mostly populated with stray chickens, and a post office, but no rock-n-roll singers.
Since I do not drink, my favorite part of the cruise was unlimited, late-night crepes on the top deck, followed by a soak in the hot tub to unwind. One of those evenings, I finished numerous strawberry crepes and slipped into the hot tub. I was soon joined by a young black man.
He struck up a conversation about the cruise and soon propositioned me. I told him I was married and straight. I explained that my sister was trans and I would love to hear his story. He told me about being raised by a hard-working mother raising four kids, an absentee father, and several loving aunts who supported him. His attraction to men began early but he never found acceptance.
I looked him in the eye and said, “Even if nobody in the world has told you this, I love you, and God loves you.” His dark eyes welled with tears. He said his mother never told him that after he came out. We talked a while, he left, and I never saw him again. Everyone needs to hear that they are loved by God.
The running theme in my spiritual journey has been the concept of being loved by God. I heard it when I was a child. I knew it intellectually and could cite it in the Bible. But it was hard to feel in my heart. It can be a long way from the head to the heart. I could know it in my head and believe it in my heart for that young man, but still not feel it for myself. It was an issue of UN-lovability that I had to work through. Once I did, then that spiritual truth could finally migrate from head to heart.
This blog will explore areas of theology, life, love, and the idea that you are dearly loved by God.
I would prefer that we could just talk in person while we walk on a beach, in the woods, or in a field by a stream to talk about these things, but a blog will have to do. Some articles may be short ideas, while others turn into a longer Chautauqua on a given topic. Join in the conversation through social media links or using the comment section.
To read about the name Belovedology, read the About Page.
P.S.: If you want to catch up on my journey from being a geek to caring for people, you can catch up here: Part 1 and Part 2.