Matthew under the arm 77
Yesterday evening we had a good meal and, after our being apart for those days, we had a lot to catch up on. 'We're well into our pilgrimage now' he said as a throw away remark. 'So?' Iadded. 'Well, you have become very attached to me and I to you. We have already been through a great deal together. You left me for a while and felt insecure. I have tried to teach you that there is a wisdom in insecurity. It is the wisdom of Christ Himself. You have learnt a great deal about prayer...the importance of daily discipline, of silence, of being formed by Christ through prayer and service. The conclusion of our pilgrimage is still a great distance away. But now we must move into a time of you learning more about The Way which is not someone else's path but that bcomes yours as you become more and more Christ-like.' I laughed. 'Me? Christ-like?' Columba's face darkened with anger. He didn't have to say anything.
Matthew 16:21-23....
Peter's attitudes were dealt with harshly. At one moment, he had been promised the powers of binding and loosing. The next....Peter received another promise: the source of these powers would be executed. So the promise made to Peter seemed to him, futile. Futility is often the judgement made by those who are frightened of losing control. The hard reality of Christianity is that the way to fulfilment in God is through suffering and death: a loss of control. A denial of that demonstrates a lack of listening to God.
In obedience to the Way of Christ within me, I would be open to suffering with others
Following Christ is only experienced in living alongside those who suffer. Imagine in the silence, those who are or have been alongside you in your suffering no matter how insignificant: an experience of Christ being with you. Perhaps visit, write, email or telephone someone you are aware is suffering. Get involved, perhaps, with a group that relates to those who suffer in some way.... You might spend 10 minutes imagining Christ's silent love alongside the suffering, with your silent love and service. With the sentence, draw alongside that person (or group or people....) and in the presence and Way of Christ love them. That is the power of binding and loosing.
+Martin
Argyll and The Isles
Matthew 16:21-23....
Peter's attitudes were dealt with harshly. At one moment, he had been promised the powers of binding and loosing. The next....Peter received another promise: the source of these powers would be executed. So the promise made to Peter seemed to him, futile. Futility is often the judgement made by those who are frightened of losing control. The hard reality of Christianity is that the way to fulfilment in God is through suffering and death: a loss of control. A denial of that demonstrates a lack of listening to God.
In obedience to the Way of Christ within me, I would be open to suffering with others
Following Christ is only experienced in living alongside those who suffer. Imagine in the silence, those who are or have been alongside you in your suffering no matter how insignificant: an experience of Christ being with you. Perhaps visit, write, email or telephone someone you are aware is suffering. Get involved, perhaps, with a group that relates to those who suffer in some way.... You might spend 10 minutes imagining Christ's silent love alongside the suffering, with your silent love and service. With the sentence, draw alongside that person (or group or people....) and in the presence and Way of Christ love them. That is the power of binding and loosing.
+Martin
Argyll and The Isles
Labels: The Way
posted by Martin at 7:47 pm
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