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Such an ironic question as we consider the value of paradox: "Does your community of faith encoruage (or hinder) you in saying yes to life and no to death?"
I'd guess we'd all like to be able to answer this question saying, "yes, all the time!" Such an answer would mean mean that the community of faith is made up of something other than human beings - robots maybe?
Lent asks us to take an honest look and confess the truth. I know that my words and actions do not always encourage others to say 'yes' to life and 'no' to death. "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the heart of God." Still, I strive to listen to the voice of the One who called me to follow. Paradoxically, this same Lord of Life asks me to take up my cross, lay down my life, die to self...
Rather than focus on changes in the community of faith, I wonder what I need to change in my life ("be the change you want to see in the world.") More than anything, my greatest struggle is in controlling the "rudder of the ship." Well trained in the ways of the world, I tend to treat conversation as a competitive sport, where I am tempted to use my words to block, tackle, intercept and sack. "God, help me slow down my mind that I might listen more than I speak."
I am also say "no to life" when I am tempted to let my words wander into other people's lives. A teacher once wrote about the difficutly of "right" or "holy speach." He told about a friend who tried an experiment for a month. His goal was to not say anything about anyone who was not present. By the end of the month, he discovered that most of the time, he really didn't have that much to say.
"God, help me limit my speach to include only those present, and may I only speak life giving words."
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I was struck by the image of the ocean in Palmer's chapter for today. Clearly, the ocean and it's tide (like God's love) is there for all. It comes in and goes out regardless of our action or even our awareness of it. Clearly, what we do when we are in the water . . . knee deep, defines us. Do we grab what we can for ourselves or do we attempt to give back that which is given for the benefit of all. Do we marvel at the splendor or let it pass unnoticed. Is the focus on life or death.
ReplyDeleteI don't quite understand the "yes to life or no to death" unless "death" means not living life to the fullest. Death to me is part of life, part of the continuum, a graduation. (I know that sounds idealistic or simplistic but I really do believe it.) I would say the choice is "yes to life or no to fear". For me, I guess, yes would be trying to be in the present when I'm with others, staying with them instead of halfway off to somewhere else. That's hard.
ReplyDeleteI meant "and" instead of "or" in each of those:
ReplyDelete"yes to life and no to fear." And yes, I have found that this community of faith does help me to do that.