Matthew under the arm 25
Great! Ihave been able to find access to going 'online' while away...
I am not at all pleased! Joining us on this part of the pilgrimage, a group of people asked me whether I knew God, whether I had allowed Jesus to show me forgiveness, whether my life has been transformed by Christ... Judgement? Oh yes, I judged them alright. So I slowed down, so that they would walk on and bother Columba! 'He'll know how to deal with them', I thought. Sure enough, the group made up with Columba and started to 'preach at him'... He listened and watched them. All he said was 'thank you'. However, he then asked them whether they would help him to build a little shelter for us all, because it was getting dark and a storm was breaking. They looked at each other, put down their ruck-sacks and rolled up their sleaves... That night when the wind was howling and we were clutching mugs of soup, there was no more preaching, just the telling of stories.
Matthew 7:1-5...
If we give time to God in prayer which is the 'Opus Dei': the 'work of God', then judgement of others becomes more a more redundant. The word judgement, in the context of the Gospels, means 'negative or destructive criticism'. Positive criticism is intent on something creative happening out of present circumstances. Judgement tends to rise from our own fear of; irritation with and feeling threatened by others. There is a strong relationship between meditation on finding God in all around us and the lessening of judgement.
I would discern Your Hope in all around me
The practice of silence increases the likelihood of looking, of being deeply aware of what is happening and who is around me... what their presence signifies. To enter into the experience of the mystery of God leads to seeing others through that mystery: to see them as they really are. Look back over the last few hours and recollect the people you have been with. See them in the presence of Christ...Observe carefully...take time. Then after a while, use the sentence to enable you even to see signs of hope in the most unlikely circumstance of your life.
+Martin
Argyll and The Isles
I am not at all pleased! Joining us on this part of the pilgrimage, a group of people asked me whether I knew God, whether I had allowed Jesus to show me forgiveness, whether my life has been transformed by Christ... Judgement? Oh yes, I judged them alright. So I slowed down, so that they would walk on and bother Columba! 'He'll know how to deal with them', I thought. Sure enough, the group made up with Columba and started to 'preach at him'... He listened and watched them. All he said was 'thank you'. However, he then asked them whether they would help him to build a little shelter for us all, because it was getting dark and a storm was breaking. They looked at each other, put down their ruck-sacks and rolled up their sleaves... That night when the wind was howling and we were clutching mugs of soup, there was no more preaching, just the telling of stories.
Matthew 7:1-5...
If we give time to God in prayer which is the 'Opus Dei': the 'work of God', then judgement of others becomes more a more redundant. The word judgement, in the context of the Gospels, means 'negative or destructive criticism'. Positive criticism is intent on something creative happening out of present circumstances. Judgement tends to rise from our own fear of; irritation with and feeling threatened by others. There is a strong relationship between meditation on finding God in all around us and the lessening of judgement.
I would discern Your Hope in all around me
The practice of silence increases the likelihood of looking, of being deeply aware of what is happening and who is around me... what their presence signifies. To enter into the experience of the mystery of God leads to seeing others through that mystery: to see them as they really are. Look back over the last few hours and recollect the people you have been with. See them in the presence of Christ...Observe carefully...take time. Then after a while, use the sentence to enable you even to see signs of hope in the most unlikely circumstance of your life.
+Martin
Argyll and The Isles
posted by Martin at 1:20 pm
1 Comments:
Well there's a challenge! Like many people I don't like being challenged but it certainly helps one to hone the skills of explaining one's faith so that all hearers can understand what it is I believe. And it puts me on the defensive side because it's 'them' who challenge me.
There again I can use it as an encounter in fellowship with others who clearly want to share their love of God and and the work of Christ in their lives and are simply looking for opportunity where ever they are and what ever they are doing. And it challenges me am I doing likewise?
Post a Comment
<< Home