Matthew under the arm 55
For over a week now, a young man has been catching up with us, everywhere we stop. Columba is getting more and more irritated with him. So this morning, just as we were setting off (lovely breakfast of bread and thick milk!), he approached us and started to ask whether he could join us permanently on the pilgrimage. 'No!', Columba said sharply. Frankly, I was disturbed by the apparent unkindness. 'But I want to learn more and more about the spiritual path of following the Gospel of Matthew from you. You, Columba, have become so vital in giving me encouragement and strength to face the journey. In fact, I regard you as a friend. More than that.. I want to be one of your students.' 'You will be a student of mine if you leave me alone, learn the Gospel of Matthew, enter deeply into prayer and follow Christ by living the Christ-like life.' I was rather cross about this actually! 'Well... dependence has only any meaning in God. Certainly not in or on me!' 'Should I leave you then Columba?' I smiled.... Columba smiled too.
Matthew 12:45-50….
In early Christianity it took a while to articulate, the actual unity that is to be had in relationship to God. The prophetic nature of Christianity is that all exclusive behaviour and culture, particularly familial and religious is challenged. This is disturbing to any society. Christianity is not about taking people away from their families into some group. Christian history has had too much that. The reality is that in God we are all one – but we behave as if we are separate from each other.
Let your heart be one with all around you through union with Christ
To be detached from exclusive relationships demands huge courage and possibly rejection. However, remember love cannot be love if it includes possessing the one I love. Christ did not shun his Mother and his brothers. He knew he was already one with them, even if they didn’t. That oneness he also has with you right now. Enjoy it in using this sentence. You may not feel any unity, see it, it taste etc… Meditation is about waiting and acceptance. Hold to the discipline of praying in the Unity of God. Who are you intimate with and how much do you want to possess them? Pray for freedom from that desire to possess and your love will grow as your Unity in God grows in this life and beyond….
+Martin
Argyll and The Isles
Matthew 12:45-50….
In early Christianity it took a while to articulate, the actual unity that is to be had in relationship to God. The prophetic nature of Christianity is that all exclusive behaviour and culture, particularly familial and religious is challenged. This is disturbing to any society. Christianity is not about taking people away from their families into some group. Christian history has had too much that. The reality is that in God we are all one – but we behave as if we are separate from each other.
Let your heart be one with all around you through union with Christ
To be detached from exclusive relationships demands huge courage and possibly rejection. However, remember love cannot be love if it includes possessing the one I love. Christ did not shun his Mother and his brothers. He knew he was already one with them, even if they didn’t. That oneness he also has with you right now. Enjoy it in using this sentence. You may not feel any unity, see it, it taste etc… Meditation is about waiting and acceptance. Hold to the discipline of praying in the Unity of God. Who are you intimate with and how much do you want to possess them? Pray for freedom from that desire to possess and your love will grow as your Unity in God grows in this life and beyond….
+Martin
Argyll and The Isles
Labels: Possessiveness, Unity
posted by Martin at 12:06 pm
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