Central Lutheran Church - Elk River
Central Lutheran Church - Elk River
Two Pieces of Paper {Reflections}
Have you ever pondered the beautiful tension between your cosmic significance and humble origins? This reflective episode explores an ancient rabbinical practice of carrying two contradictory truths that perfectly balance our understanding of human existence.
The rabbis recommended keeping two pieces of paper in your pockets. The first reads, "For me, the whole world was created" – a profound reminder of your inherent value and cosmic significance. Think about those magical moments when you've witnessed something breathtaking all alone: a shooting star streaming across the night sky or deer racing through your backyard in a flash nobody else saw. These experiences feel divinely orchestrated just for you, affirming that your presence in this world matters deeply.
The second paper simply states, "I am but dust and ashes." This humbling truth connects to our origins in both science and scripture. The Hebrew word "adam" (humanity) relates to "adamah" (earth) – we are essentially "dirt beings" temporarily animated by divine breath. When life ends, our bodies return to the soil while our spirits return to their source. This perspective keeps our egos in check when we start feeling too important.
What makes this practice so powerful is how it creates perfect equilibrium in our lives. When despair or worthlessness overwhelms you, reach for the reminder of your cosmic value. When pride inflates your sense of importance, touch the truth of your humble, temporary existence. By embracing both realities simultaneously, we find our proper place in the universe – significant enough to live with purpose, humble enough to serve with compassion. Which truth do you need to carry closest to your heart today?
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What is up everybody? Hey, this is Ryan, and welcome to our Reflections podcast. I don't know what the title of this episode will be. Actually, Olivia, who is our communications director, she names them and she kind of names them as a way to you know. If you were to search certain things, I'll pop up more likely on your podcast search. But if I could title this one, I would call it.
Speaker 1:This would be called Two Pieces of Paper, and here's why the rabbis used to always recommend that everybody carries around two pieces of paper and puts them in each pocket of their pants. And you can do this One sheet of paper you're to write this, write down for me, the whole world was created, and put that in one pocket. And then the other sheet of paper you're to write out I am but dust and ashes and put that in your other pocket. So in one pocket you've got one sheet of paper that says for me, the whole world was created, which is kind of true. I mean, have you ever been somewhere and you've seen a moment, and you look around and there's nobody else around, like, have you ever seen a sunrise and you're the only one there, at least as far as you can see or a sunset, and you look around, there's nobody else there to notice it. I remember one day I was in my house looking at my back window and we have deer that run through our neighborhood all the time. I love it. And one day I'm sitting there like washing dishes or something and like a whole bunch of deer like seven of them came running through my backyard at warp speed and I was like yo, hey guys, hold up. And I turned around and there was nobody there. My kids weren't there, my wife Katie wasn't there, and by the time they came running it was too late, it was gone and I was like man, you guys missed it and no matter how I could describe it, I couldn't do the moment justice, but I felt like in that moment that was just for me, that was a secret thing, thing that I saw and nobody else saw that moment from my vantage point there.
Speaker 1:Another time I was in Colorado and we were. It was late at night and I was hanging out by this lake. I was in Colorado this past summer on the Western Slope and I saw this beautiful this is the first time I've ever seen a shooting star and it's like 10 o'clock at night, pitch dark, and the shooting star just rocketed across the sky and I was like hey, and I was like looking around to see who else saw it, and there was nobody else around. It was incredible. Yeah, yeah, the universe was made just for you.
Speaker 1:But also on the other pocket, on the other sheet of paper, you have this other piece that says on it I am but dust and ashes, which is piece that says on it I am but dust and ashes, which is true you are dust. Scientists suggest that we're made of dust stardust to be exact. And the Bible says as much as well in the Adam and Eve story. It's beautiful. In Genesis 2, the second creation story, god picks up dirt and breathes on it and gives it life. And so human Adam by the way, adama means like human, or humanity, or man. It actually could also be rendered dirt man, which I love. And so man, humanity, is just dirt with breath, the breath of God in it, which is incredible. And then he says in chapter 13, you are but dust. God tells Adam You're but dust, and to dust you shall return. I love.
Speaker 1:In the book of Ecclesiastes, towards the end, it says when we die, the body goes into the ground. The soul or the breath or the wind goes back to God where it came from, and the body goes back into the dirt where it came from. I love this image. Yeah, we're just dirt, that we're here for a moment. We're here and then gone. Adam was this dirt man who got breathed into by God, the divine, and so he's just but dust. And now he's dust again, and one day, when we die, when the breath leaves us, when the spirit leaves us and goes back to God who gave it, we will be put back into the ground and our bodies will decompose and become food for worms.
Speaker 1:So on days when you wake up and you feel like God, I'm the biggest idiot in the whole world and you just can't get it right and you feel like nothing you do is good enough and you're like I'm just such a loser I mean, hopefully you never have days like this, but maybe you have. On those days, yeah, pull out that one sheet of paper and read it. Yeah, for you the whole world was created. Yeah, you are the apple of God's eye. God sees you and knows all the numbers of hairs on your head, and you make him smile when he looks at you. There's never been a you before in the history of the world. And there you are and for you the whole world was created. God is deeply interested in you and your life and in love with you. It's this beautiful picture.
Speaker 1:So on days when you don't feel just quite right, yeah, pull out that one. Yeah, for me the world was created. On other days, when you feel like maybe you're getting a little bit big for your britches and you're feeling yourself a little bit too much and your head or your ego is getting maybe a bit overinflated, relax and pull out that other sheet of paper and remind yourself I am but dust and ashes here, and then I'm gone, the breath will go back to God and my body will go into the dirt and I'll become dust again. So, friends, today may you remember that for you the whole world was created, and may you also remember that you are but dust and to dust you shall return. All right, love you guys.
Speaker 2:Amen. Hey, if you enjoy this show, I'd love to have you share it with some friends. And don't forget, you are always welcome to join us in person at Central in Elk River at 830, which is our liturgical gathering, or at 10 o'clock, our modern gathering, or you can check us out online at clcelkriverorg Peace.
