The Art of Shaving: Be

So, I was talking with someone a few weeks ago about how I like shaving.  I used to be a 'shave in the shower for efficiency' guy, and lately I have been washing my face, lathering up (not letting the water run, we're also trying to think sustainably), and shaving.  I even bought some semi-old school shaving cream that Rachel says smells like Public Restroom (in the minty, but still unpleasant way).  I realized that she was right after I shaved without showering one afternoon.  Rachel also knew intuitively that I had been to "The Art of Shaving" in the Galleria - although I didn't buy anything...  Apparently there is a shaving ethos that I picked up on.

I think I like shaving because of the speed of it.  You cannot speed it up too much without disastrous results - I think I went through a period where I cut myself before every wedding I was in for like 5 weddings in a row.  Similarly, you cannot speed it up.  I like shaving because of the process; it involves hot water, it feels good if/when I take it slowly.  I like shaving because it is a uniquely masculine enterprise - I feel, just slightly, more like a man when I am shaving in the slow way.

As we talk about Sensing Jesus at Riverside, and if you have glanced through our Core Values (Faith, Hope, Love, Be) on our website, you know that we're attempting to listen to Jesus and the Spirit about ALL things.  Not simply how do we get to Heaven, or how do I manage my behavior, but also - how do I simply be.  What does it mean to be human in light of Jesus of Nazareth?  What does it mean for Matt Blazer of Tulsa, Oklahoma?  How do I be a man in light of the Gospel?  How do I be a father or a husband?  Or an intern, or a basketball player, or a guy who sometimes writes on a blog, or deal with anxiety and the pressures of life?  It is amazing how much something simple - like shaving, which is really just a funny way of taking a few deep breaths for me - helps.  And, it is even more amazing to realize that that is just as much a part of being a follower of Jesus - embracing my limits and basic humanity - then my attempts to manage my sin and be "Godly".  Maybe it is even more of a part of it.  

-Matt Blazer