Matthew under the arm 43
Columba started climbing a long hill, walking just in front of me. I am so unfit, despite the weeks we have been walking on this pilgrimage. [Well. So is Columba. His panting and puffing gives the game away!] Two women joined us at the bottom of the hill. They looked lean and agile. One of them said as she overtook me: 'Who is that man ahead of you? He really upset us... He had the cheek to ask us to stop speaking of their boss back at work so negatively when that person wasn't present to defend himself. What business is that of his?' I retorted: ''If you have something against Columba, speak to him yourself.' The two women lunged on ahead and I could see them fingering Columba in no uncertain terms. I couldn't resist it. I asked Columba later what he said to the women, 'Simple. I just asked them why they were so afraid of their boss.'
Matthew 10:34-39….
It is worth observing that there are two basic kinds of conflict: destructive and creative. The first arises from despair and fear and the second from the hope and desire for fulfilment. Religion is not about ephemeral gratification or amelioration of difficult feelings, but about the costliness of love. This can produce responses of rejection and ridicule. The language is one of waking us up to where our priority lies. The demand is that I follow Christ and it costs not less than everything….
Let your love of Me be more and more at the roots of your words and your actions
You will never be able to love God let alone anyone else enough. That is why Christianity is not a project. Projects are laid out to be achieved and finalised. Spirituality is about openness and cooperation with the God of Love within. This meditation must begin with the sentence to ensure that guilt about failure and delusions about success do not creep in…. Then ask yourself these questions: Is Christ my priority? What is the cost of this? Am I really prepared to go down that path? What help do I need? And, in any case, do I want Christ? Do not force answers, just let the questions be seeded in you.
+Martin
Argyll and The Isles
Matthew 10:34-39….
It is worth observing that there are two basic kinds of conflict: destructive and creative. The first arises from despair and fear and the second from the hope and desire for fulfilment. Religion is not about ephemeral gratification or amelioration of difficult feelings, but about the costliness of love. This can produce responses of rejection and ridicule. The language is one of waking us up to where our priority lies. The demand is that I follow Christ and it costs not less than everything….
Let your love of Me be more and more at the roots of your words and your actions
You will never be able to love God let alone anyone else enough. That is why Christianity is not a project. Projects are laid out to be achieved and finalised. Spirituality is about openness and cooperation with the God of Love within. This meditation must begin with the sentence to ensure that guilt about failure and delusions about success do not creep in…. Then ask yourself these questions: Is Christ my priority? What is the cost of this? Am I really prepared to go down that path? What help do I need? And, in any case, do I want Christ? Do not force answers, just let the questions be seeded in you.
+Martin
Argyll and The Isles
Labels: Fear. Cost of discipleship
posted by Martin at 6:52 pm
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