This question reminds me of the Simon and Garfunkel song (The Boxer) lyrics: still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest. I think the same holds true for our vision. We see what we want to see. Again this is tied to our interpretations and the prominence that we give to ourselves in this universe. I am forever amazed by those who interpret things, people, so negatively. Many string together imagined slights, deliberate offenses where in actuality human frailty is at play. If I speak to someone and they don't speak back could it be that their ears may be stopped up?
I like the devotional story of Bach's signature on his great musical pieces: Soli Deo Gloria=Glory to God alone. I am reminded of a conversation that Bishop Rinehart asked this week on the ELCA Clergy Facebook page: "in your opinion, what gods do we worship most in American culture?" Answers included: the gods of our own making=my way, my body, my, my, my; money, food, individualism, sports, heroes, violence, television, pride, numbers, entertainment, success, happiness, comfort, sex, intellect, Prada, Coach, Disney and HDTV. As you might imagine, the list was quite long. Some followed Martin Luther's prescription that our gods are those things or persons in whom we put our trust, above all else.
Do we have the patience to trust in mystery, to trust in God? I very much agree with the devotional transforming thought for today: I would rather live in a world of mystery than in a world so small my mind could comprehend it.
I have always liked St. Irenaeus' wisdom and find it a worthwhile principle to live by. What does it mean for me to be fully alive, living the abundant life that Jesus spoke of so often? The beauty of life is that God has shared glory lavishly. I see it in others, in the dappled wonder of nature, even in crevices and rough-hewn surfaces. If I attune my heart properly, my eyes and ears perceive the glory of God in all things. I am no longer limited to what I want to hear or see; there is manifestation, awe, wonder, shock, and surprise.
He really has shared the glory. I don't get why this seems to be such a hard thing to understand.
ReplyDeleteAre you alive? That's what I ask out of frustration at times. Is your heart not beating?
I've heard it said that 'you can't wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep.'
I've also heard it said 'nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.'
That being said we're born into a world where our reality and our view so narrow. It is silly to not engage the mystery. What is there to fear? Death?
It reminds me of the story of Jesus when he made the blind man to see, sent him to the Sanhedrin, the parents ended up selling out their son, and the formerly blind son unwittingly mocked the Pharisees.
'And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they who see not might see; and that they who see might be made blind.'
I lead a very blessed and charmed life. That's not to say I haven't gone through extreme difficulty in my life. But I can say that a long time ago I made a commitment and I've seen though those times.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am filled with joy and hope, I understand that my testimony is my own and not for everyone. I don't think it is worth sharing in the sense that, my life and what I continue to overcome; the working of the spirit in my life has created a life in me that can only be understood by those who labor. Only by entering into those labors with others can this character be revealed and shared and thus yield a peculiar unity and genuine report of love and affection for life with others in the community. Does that make sense?
What I am trying to express is that boasting and gainsaying is not of the spirit. I say this, not to diminish what I witness in my life, but there are people on the edge of the night and they don't need or typically, don't like to hear about the glory of the Holy Spirit. I think its a great message, but this is a cruel world and there are some damaged folk out there.
They need to be brought back to life. But only the spirit can make this happen.
I, too, like today's Transforming Thought. A parallel statement that I also like: "If the brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn't." The amazing mystery of the human brain results from the countless interconnections among neurons. Similarly, part of the mystery of God results from the countless interrelations he has with humanity.
ReplyDeleteAll one has to do to see the glory of God is to look to nature. Soli Deo Gloria!
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