Jesus was punk

Wellbeing is Punk.

Life is a fantastic opportunity. For everything in it. Our whole external environment is made up of beings, energies and forces of nature following their path too. It can at times feel like an overwhelming series of attacks on your existence from all angles, it's seldom personal. These days with all the demands, and people's opinions on respect, eeking out what we need to stay well can feel like an imposition on everyone else. I'm here to tell you it's ok to get a bit punk, decide your journey, decide what keeps you well, decide on your boundaries, and decide not ruminate about what other people think of you. 


Jesus is Punk.

Jesus smashed the system and gave Wellbeing back to us. He was a Jew: lots of rules: 613 in the Tora, ten thousand plus rules in the Halakha - insurmountable and inaccessible for most. 

Jesus condensing the Tora it into: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Direct quote from the Shema in the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:5), Judaism. "And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

If we followed these rules it would keep us well. Love your neighbour - empathy, understand that they are just doing their thing. Show them love in every interaction and you're going to get on very well. Love yourself - give your body what it needs, protect it from what it doesn't need, do your thing, and appreciate yourself. 

Rebuttal: but what if they (neighbours) take advantage of the situation… "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16    You love your kids, you may allow them to be spoilt at times, but you love them and want them to thrive so you put boundaries in place. We are tempted to love ourselves too much too, that extra dessert too, but we must show ourselves that same love.


Punk and Lent.

Lent is about smashing the system that keeps us UN-Well. It's behaviour change #101.

  • Accountability (Social) we tell others what we are giving up for lent

  • Identify resonance - it's a time to get back to what we recognise as the best versions of ourselves 

  • Replacing bad habits with good - give up the snack in front of the TV, replace with prayer

  • 40 days sweet spot - 66 days to change a habit but it feels too long, people talk about 21 days, but that's not based on science

So we must reflect… Lent is a time of pruning

An audit of the external rules (societal norms) that impact our wellbeing

We should question the rulebook that hinders us, especially those who try to misuse the rulebook for their own agenda: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27)

An audit of our internal rules (habits) that impact on our wellbeing

In Lent Jesus cleared his body and mine off all the things the system pollutes us with so he could be pure, un-distracted from his spiritual journey: fasting to break the bonds of sensory pleasure, he gave everything away to break the bonds of materialistic pleasure.

But we must also be mindful of what is missing, what we can add in to our lives after the 40 days.