Greetings, Sisters, Brothers and Friends of the Community,
In today’s lectionary reading in John we learn of yet another voice speaking from heaven. This time it is to affirm that Jesus was indeed glorifying God’s name. In chapter 12, verse 28, Jesus raises a prayer to heaven: “Father, glorify your Name.” The voice responded from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
What was interesting to me about this exchange is the perception of it by the people. Verse 29 reads, “The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
Why do people have such different interpretations of what they all experience together? Why do some people brush off the obviousness of God as just thunder, while others see it for the truth? Perhaps the answer comes to us a little later in this chapter when we read what the prophet Isaiah observed: “Who believes our message? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Some could not believe because of the hardness of their hearts – and this blinds their eyes and stuffs their ears.” They hear angelic voices only as blunt claps of thunder.
The messages of God’s love are everywhere – if we just have eyes to see and ears to hear. They are in the big things (the earth, the air, the stars) and they are in the little things (a bite of food, a flower, a smile and helping hand from a friend, the whisper of a “thank you”)
The hardness of our heart is another way of describing the dysfunctional ego that encapsulates our soul, clogging our ears and blinding our eyes. As we learn to pry these scales from our soul, as St. Paul did on his journey to Damascus, we begin to more clearly hear the loving angelic voices from heaven, and see the good works of love in our lives, moment by moment. Yes, life is tough, and there is pain, but it is made worse by those who only hear thunder. As more of us hear the angels’ voices, all things will improve.
As you journey through this coming week, watch for two things: First, observe what scales may be covering your heart, and see them for what they are – no good. Second, see more clearly the things that happen in your life, moment by moment, that are little miracles; continuous acts from a loving God trying to get your attention, “Hey you! I love you!”
(And I will try to see the additional snow we got this morning as a blessing. It is a blessing. It IS a blessing. Yes, it is. Well…I’ll keep working on it.)
Blessings to all,
Your brother,
Daniel-Joseph
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
A New World Economy
Greetings, Sisters, Brothers, and Friends of the Community,
I pray that this note finds you all well,
Sunday’s lectionary reading included a review of the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:1-17). These statues from God were intended to begin to put into words the love and compassion that would ultimately be fulfilled in the life of Christ. They have produced volumes of commentary over the years, and one could easily spend a lifetime of discussion on them. My thought today, however, is shorter than that, and focuses on verse 17: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female servant, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Anyone looking for a reason why we are in the middle of a global financial meltdown? This may be the root cause.
I found this reflection written by William Law, an Anglican priest, in the early 1700s:
“If you should see a man that had a large pond of water, yet living in continual thirst, not allowing himself to even drink half a cup for fear of lessening this pond, if you should see him wasting his time and strength in fetching more water to his hand, watching early and late to catch the drops of rain, gaping after every cloud and running greedily into every mire and mud in hopes of finding water and always studying how to make every ditch empty itself into his pond; if you should see him grow gray and old in this anxious labors and at last end a careful, thirsty life by falling into his own pond, would you not say that such a one was not only the author of all his own disquiets, but was foolish enough to be reckoned among idiots and madmen? But yet foolish and absurd as this character is, it does not represent half the follies and absurd disquiets of the covetous person.”
The commandments not to covet are designed to protect us as much as they are to protect our neighbor. Covetousness is a product of a dysfunctional ego. It is based on fear. It goes against the economic equity principles of Christ: If you have two coats, give one to him who has none. This may be a good principle for a new world economy.
Walk with God this coming week!
Br. Daniel-Joseph, CTG
I pray that this note finds you all well,
Sunday’s lectionary reading included a review of the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:1-17). These statues from God were intended to begin to put into words the love and compassion that would ultimately be fulfilled in the life of Christ. They have produced volumes of commentary over the years, and one could easily spend a lifetime of discussion on them. My thought today, however, is shorter than that, and focuses on verse 17: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female servant, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Anyone looking for a reason why we are in the middle of a global financial meltdown? This may be the root cause.
I found this reflection written by William Law, an Anglican priest, in the early 1700s:
“If you should see a man that had a large pond of water, yet living in continual thirst, not allowing himself to even drink half a cup for fear of lessening this pond, if you should see him wasting his time and strength in fetching more water to his hand, watching early and late to catch the drops of rain, gaping after every cloud and running greedily into every mire and mud in hopes of finding water and always studying how to make every ditch empty itself into his pond; if you should see him grow gray and old in this anxious labors and at last end a careful, thirsty life by falling into his own pond, would you not say that such a one was not only the author of all his own disquiets, but was foolish enough to be reckoned among idiots and madmen? But yet foolish and absurd as this character is, it does not represent half the follies and absurd disquiets of the covetous person.”
The commandments not to covet are designed to protect us as much as they are to protect our neighbor. Covetousness is a product of a dysfunctional ego. It is based on fear. It goes against the economic equity principles of Christ: If you have two coats, give one to him who has none. This may be a good principle for a new world economy.
Walk with God this coming week!
Br. Daniel-Joseph, CTG
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Love's Pursuit
Greetings, Sisters, Brothers and Friends of the Community!
What’s a good activity when you are getting 6-9” more of snow? Reading.
While exploring a book on Simone Weil, I came across this poem by George Herbert. It is about the relentless pursuit of God’s love and compassion of a person judging themselves unworthy of this Love. I thought it was worth sharing and spending some time reflecting on it:
Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of envy and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
“Do you lack anything?”
“A guest,” I answered, “worthy to be here.”
Love said, “You shall be he.”
“I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.”
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
“Who made the eyes but I?’
“Truth, Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame
Go where it does deserve.”
“And know you not,” says Love, “Who bore the blame?”“My dear, then I will serve.”
“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.”
So I did sit and eat.
Nothing, says St. Paul, can separate us from the love of God. Remember this!
Blessings to you all,
Br. Daniel-Joseph, CTG
What’s a good activity when you are getting 6-9” more of snow? Reading.
While exploring a book on Simone Weil, I came across this poem by George Herbert. It is about the relentless pursuit of God’s love and compassion of a person judging themselves unworthy of this Love. I thought it was worth sharing and spending some time reflecting on it:
Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of envy and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
“Do you lack anything?”
“A guest,” I answered, “worthy to be here.”
Love said, “You shall be he.”
“I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.”
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
“Who made the eyes but I?’
“Truth, Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame
Go where it does deserve.”
“And know you not,” says Love, “Who bore the blame?”“My dear, then I will serve.”
“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.”
So I did sit and eat.
Nothing, says St. Paul, can separate us from the love of God. Remember this!
Blessings to you all,
Br. Daniel-Joseph, CTG
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