Defying Gravity

Are you familiar with the Broadway musical WICKED? It’s a moving story of fantasy and sisterhood with dramatic costumes and scenery and the music is a wonderful storytelling vehicle. Toward the end of Act 1 one of the sisters sings a dramatic song DEFYING GRAVITY. It is a powerful moment in the show. It speaks of her decision to be pulled in a different direction.

Scientifically, gravity is described in WIKIPEDIA:

“Gravity, or gravitation, is a natural phenomenon by which all things with mass or energy—including planets, stars, galaxies, and even light—are brought toward one another. On Earth, gravity gives weight to physical objects, and the Moon’s gravity causes the ocean tides.”

By the way–yes I know WIKI is not the most reliable source for many aspects of research, but I think it works quite well for this simple definition. (I digress.)

What I love about the above definition is the image of things being drawn toward one another in a powerful force of nature. Now I am going to imagine a few new terms for the purpose of this message:

Relational gravity draws us closer to those we love. Defying gravity would suggest we want to separate from the loved ones instead.

Social gravity might suggest that even in a room full of strangers we are drawn to certain people, sometimes without knowing why. Gravity in general keeps our feet on the ground, the sun in the sky and the moon and the stars lined up perfectly at night.

Spiritual gravity helps us realize that we are naturally drawn to a power much larger than our own and a being bigger than ourselves. Some people say that everyone is born with a God shaped hole in their soul that begs to be filled. Those who do not work toward filling the void with Godly measures might experience restlessness and sometimes a feeling of a vague existence.

My spiritual gravity draws me to God through Jesus. Jesus walked a path that defied gravity. His message cut against what many believed in his time and at many turns in his life on earth he was threatened by opposition. Arguably Jesus defied many of the social constructs in his day that held the culture together. He was seen to disrupt; he was changing what his society believed to be strong and true, and it was frightening to some of the people and many of the leaders in the day. Those who were drawn to him anyway learned a path of new wisdom, love and reconciliation–who wouldn’t love that? My own spiritual gravity draws me to this message and it gives me strength and comfort. But I realize as I choose this path I am defying the gravity that would otherwise pull me in another direction. To me those other directions might bring hectic chaos to my existence. How about you?

Where does your relational gravity pull you? How does your social gravity tug at you? Most important of all, what is your spiritual gravity whispering to you this day?