Take A Good Look

Tags

blame, difference, faults, fear, Hearts on Fire, innocence, join, Prayer of Reconciliation, righteousness, separation, spirit, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, together

In the little book of Jesuit prayers entitled Hearts on Fire, I opened this morning at random to one called “Prayer of Reconciliation.” I was interested in what the prayer said about the mental process that can quickly lead to blame in our dealing with others as well as our judgment of their motivations. When we come from a place of difference or separation it becomes easy to denigrate the other while shoring up a skewed sense of our own innocence or righteousness. We would do well to carry a small mirror with us (if only a virtual one) to look into our own eyes and see the love that is God’s Spirit looking back at us before we judge another.

Lord Christ, help us to see what it is that joins us together, not what separates us. For when we see only what it is that makes us different, we too often become aware of what is wrong with others. We see only their faults and weaknesses, interpreting their actions as flowing from malice or hatred rather than fear. Even when confronted with evil, Lord, you forgave and sacrificed yourself rather than sought revenge. Teach us to do the same by the power of your Spirit. (William Breault, S.J.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Call to Presence

Tags

dawn, gentlest, innocence, Lord, love, present, psalm, The Sign of Jonas, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

I sit this morning in the quiet moment where nothing stirs except the very energetic birds and where the light came as quickly just now as if someone had flipped a switch to begin the day. Everything is still outside while in my head the thoughts and plans that woke me at 4:30 begin to dissipate so I can notice and embrace the silence…

Now even the birds are quieting down, to listen perhaps to Thomas Merton’s psalm for the dawn. I join them and sink into Merton’s call to presence.

The Lord God is present where the new day shines in the moisture on the young grasses. The Lord God is present where the small wildflowers are known to Him alone. The Lord God passes suddenly, in the wind, at the moment when night ebbs into the ground. He Who is infinitely great has given to His children a share in His own innocence. His alone is the gentlest of loves: whose pure flame respects all things… (The Sign of Jonas, p. 346)

 

 

 

 

 

The Weight of Evidence

Tags

condemn, discernment, guilt, innocence, Jesus, John, judge, judgment, justice, law, Nicodemus, Pharisees, psalm 7, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Both the psalm and the gospel in this morning’s lectionary remind me of a basic principle of law in the United States of America, i.e. “innocent until proven guilty.” We are still in chapter 7 of John’s gospel where people are divided about Jesus. As yesterday, they are convinced he cannot be the messiah because he comes from Galilee but the guards say to the authorities, “No one has ever spoken like this man!” The Pharisees are still resistant asking, “Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?” (as if position alone yields probity.) It is Nicodemus that enters then and asks my question: “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” Would that this question always be raised at moments of personal and/or public judging in our lives!

The psalmist turns the job of judging over to God, as in psalm 7 he cries out: Judge us, judge me, judge everything and all that’s in your care. Weigh me on the scale of innocence, according to your law, and as you establish justice, bring evil to an end. For this I know, you are the source of justice done, the fairest judge of all. You know what’s in the human heart to the very secrets of the soul. You are also the great protecting one, you shield the good, defending all that’s true. (vs. 8-11)

The faculty of judgment in the manner of discernment is essential to our lives in assessing what is beneficial and what is not – from what we ought to eat, to wear, to spend our money on, etc. When judging moves into the public arena, however, where we begin to assess the intelligence, worthiness of respect, good character – or any other quality – of another person or the rightness in a situation, we ought to be sure we have spent the time and energy it takes to really make an informed judgment. And, in truth, we would be better off leaving that kind of judgment to God, letting love be the measure of our lives. I will try today to notice how quickly I move to judgment in my thoughts throughout the day and I will try to keep those thoughts to myself for the benefit of all!

Change of Seasons

Tags

Autumn Equinox, innocence, love, praise God, respect, The Sign of Jonas, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton, transition

I have been slow to notice – or perhaps just to admit – that we are close to the Autumn Equinox, yet this morning I cannot ignore the fact that things are changing.

It’s 6:30AM and the sun is nowhere to be seen; mist still lies heavy outside veiling the trees in shadow. The lamp in my bedroom still shines brightly and necessarily if I am to see what I’m reading. We have begun to feel the transition in cool nights that follow warm, sunny days and mowing the lawn is a challenge as the grass is thick in some areas and just patches of brown in others. There is some wistfulness in the recognition of this shift; it calls for those who would wish to still be engaged in the lighter activities of summer to “buckle down” and return to routine. I can always count on Thomas Merton to put a good spin on any morning, encouraging me to look at the day with new eyes and gratitude for the God who offers it to us with an aura of possibility. Today I read the following:

The Lord God passes suddenly, in the wind, at the moment when night ebbs into the ground. He Who is infinitely great has given to His children a share in His own innocence. His is the gentlest of loves: whose pure flame respects all things…He keeps giving to them, giving them all that they are, asking no thanks of them save that they should receive from Him to be loved and nurtured by Him, that they should increase and multiply, and so praise Him. (The Sign of Jonas)