Matthew under the arm 98

Altogether it was a sad and disturbing experience. Columba and I had been walking from first light. The sky was heavy and grey-dark - almost threatening. We had had with us, for several days, a young man who had just joined the pilgrimage. He had felt so proud that he had walked all day with us. On his second day, he was 'blissfully' happy that he had learnt so much about Christ and so much about prayer and so much about loving action. Yesterday morning, As we were leaving our hostel, an old woman who had been sleeping rough rushed up to the young man and asked for some money. He refused. 'Well, would you take me into the hostel and buy a little bread and hot milk for me?' His reply? 'Look - not now! I am on a pilgrimage. I am into my stride now and must press on to my next stage, otherwise I will lose momentum and interest in the pilgrimage.' He strode off. Columba took the old lady into the hostel and bought her bread and hot milk. By the time Columba finished listening to the old lady's life-story it was the afternoon. I looked up the the empty road and felt sad for the 'not now' of the young man...

Matthew 20:24-28….
In this ‘against the grain’ passage, Jesus seems to demand the impossible, at least psychologically. Our images of greatness are turned on their heads. We assume that by being a servant, we will at best be used, but mostly ignored. Despite the fact that most who have become great do not appear to enjoy their greatness, most are addicted to it. In a sense, Jesus is freeing us from addiction or what is called ‘status anxiety’. Greatness begins by being aware of the insatiable desire for significance and then working to find that significance in others, which is Christ.

My Strength and My Life are discovered within you through service


Most of your discontent comes from fear. Fear, in turn, is based on lack of affirmation or being rejected. It is the circumstance of the majority of the world’s population. Spend some time in your meditation simply observing your own discontent. Feel it, but do not judge yourself or anyone else. You will notice that it is hard to put away, it is so basic to your experience of life. For some, it will be more pronounced than others: raising, perhaps, disturbing feelings and memories. Allow Christ’s own self-knowledge and acceptance to enter into you deeply as you meditate with this sentence. As you leave your silence, be of some service to someone: a letter, a phone call, an email, a visit… pray for that person. Do it soon! In fact, do it now!...you never know....

+Martin
Argyll and The Isles