EDITORIAL
Feeling and Living God's Love

Michael A. King

I visualize four thematic waves lapping out from this issue of DreamSeeker Magazine, each somewhat different yet drawing energy from the same ocean. The ocean is perhaps life itself, in all its mysteries, complexities, energies, and interconnectednesses.

The first wave has to do with what it’s like to feel the love of God. The first part of that wave to reach shore is Joe Fields’ story of how love replaces alcohol, so that after years of literal and spiritual prison this man who once hated himself can conclude, “Joe, you are a miracle.” Next comes Polly Ann Brown’s telling, in both poetry and prose, of shedding holy images until she could conclude that “I am loved absolutely and unconditionally by God.” And I report on a friend’s experience of that same love of God.

The next wave has to do with how we live the love of God. On the crest of this wave is Norman Kraus’ examination of our need for discipleship and grace—which could also be described as our need to experience and pass on God’s love. Renee Gehman explores to what extent “salt” and “light” are helpful passing-it-on images. And I read Joyce Peachey Lind as helping us understand that when love and life most fully intertwine, we fly a little.

Love includes connection. I feel warmly, meaningfully connected with that which I love and am loved by. Connection is the third wave. Within this wave Kirsten Eve Beachy yearns to connect the one not Mennonite with why being Mennonite is something to love. David Greiser explores how integral to the film “I ª Huckabees” is “the connectedness of all things,” and Noel King tells us of a woman so connected with all things that she can speak even the languages of heart and blood vessels, lock and key, or pillow. Meanwhile Ross Bender shows us how much is connected with the cows coming back.

The final wave is made up of Deborah Good’s column on navigating through gender matters and Daniel Hertzler’s review of books on consumerism. This wave might be visualized as involving specific issues that arise in our quest to navigate through experiencing and living God’s love amid our interconnectedness with each other and all things.

Welcoming Renee Gehman

It’s a delight to welcome Renee Gehman, a junior at Gordon College both majoring in English and steeped in a lifelong love of words, as DSM’s new assistant editor. Renee is simultaneously learning the publishing trade and contributing her already considerable skills to it, as she polishes my first round of editorial work and writes her own column, “Ink Aria,” appearing for the first time in this issue. Welcome aboard, Renee!