I’ve become aware of the truth of this more and more. Sadly, when I was younger, I did not realise I had authoritarian tendencies. I was convinced the system, the powers at be, had our best interests at heart. My job was to comply and obey. Now, I realise that there is far more at stake here. More and more is demanded of us and to succeed, one needs to perform. There is hardly any room for many people to breathe. The question that is puzzling me a lot is how do we learn to become peace-makers who act with kindness for the good of all?
For me, contemplative prayer is a great starting place for to me we need to learn to receive the gift of our own being. I’m also enjoying wrestling with Scripture and seeing something ‘new’ come to me. For instance, I was re-reading the parable of the lost sheep. I had not noticed before that the good shepherd left the ninety-nine ‘in the wilderness’ to search for the one that was lost. I wonder if we need to experience that we are ‘lost’, not in an overly negative sense but in the sense that we recognise we need help not to get back to the safety of the status quo but so that we have something to contribute. Maybe that is why the shepherd rejoiced! At last we have something to offer! We are needed. Just a thought….
Thank you! I love a good story. It is amazing to use my imagination. I really need the courage to meet that monster, because I always choose the soapy love stories. I am inspired to read more of Revelation!
RIGHT ON, MARK!!!
I’ve become aware of the truth of this more and more. Sadly, when I was younger, I did not realise I had authoritarian tendencies. I was convinced the system, the powers at be, had our best interests at heart. My job was to comply and obey. Now, I realise that there is far more at stake here. More and more is demanded of us and to succeed, one needs to perform. There is hardly any room for many people to breathe. The question that is puzzling me a lot is how do we learn to become peace-makers who act with kindness for the good of all?
For me, contemplative prayer is a great starting place for to me we need to learn to receive the gift of our own being. I’m also enjoying wrestling with Scripture and seeing something ‘new’ come to me. For instance, I was re-reading the parable of the lost sheep. I had not noticed before that the good shepherd left the ninety-nine ‘in the wilderness’ to search for the one that was lost. I wonder if we need to experience that we are ‘lost’, not in an overly negative sense but in the sense that we recognise we need help not to get back to the safety of the status quo but so that we have something to contribute. Maybe that is why the shepherd rejoiced! At last we have something to offer! We are needed. Just a thought….
“but really, we all give permission for systems of domination to rule when our fear causes us to mute dissent and surrender our agency.”
Now that is a true reality check!!
“Revelation, when read rightly, gives us tools to unveil monsters and fight back against them with nonviolence, truth, and love.”
May it be so!
Thank you! I love a good story. It is amazing to use my imagination. I really need the courage to meet that monster, because I always choose the soapy love stories. I am inspired to read more of Revelation!