May I open up a little conversation from an highly-trusted spiritual classic...
"Becoming a human being...is a mandate and a mission, a command and a decision. We each have an open-ended relationship to ourselves...
'We, however, are challenged and questioned from the depths of our boundless spirit...to become
human through the exercise of our freedom -- that is the law of our Being...(yet) not devoid of law
and necessity. (This freedom) reveals itself at work when we accept and approve with all our heart the being that is committed to us...Thus, the free process of becoming ...human...unfolds as a process of service...obedience and faithfulness to the humanity entrusted to us...
'By its very nature this process is a trial; imbedded in it is the danger of going awry...We are always a potential rebel. We can secretly betray the humanity entrusted to us...we can try to run away from ourselves, from the burdens and difficulties of our lot, even going so far as to take our own life. Under the myriad evansions of (the materialistic), we can stifle the truth of our Being...
'On the other hand, we may withstand this temptation and lovingly accept the truth of our Being. For the moment we shall call this attitude "love of self"...the deep and positive significance of an attitude whose ethical and religious scope is usually overlooked and underrated...Understood correctly, our love for ourselves, our 'yes' to our self, may be regarded as the categorical imperative of faith: You shall lovingly accept the humanity entrusted to you! You shall be obedient to your destiny. You shall not continually try to escape...
'You shall be true to yourself. You shall embrace yourself."
From the forward of Johannes Baptist Metz' "Poverty of Spirit" (an classic which has been translated by John Drury and includes Inclusive Language by Carole Farris):
NOTE: funny that I just read the above and then a few hours later found this same discussion among a precious online community of people across the world with whom I've learned such similarly deep concepts. So, I am hoping, inshallah, to come back to encourage some similar quotes from these dear friends.
Well, I heard the Spirit speaking to me twice before noon with this very same message and want to
get this out to some of my readers before I lose the essence. I posted this beginning here on "No More Crusades" because I feel deeply it's time for each of us to embrace that which is so embedded in each one of us and thereby be slowly yet steadily done with violence toward one another once and for all.
"Becoming a human being...is a mandate and a mission, a command and a decision. We each have an open-ended relationship to ourselves...
'We, however, are challenged and questioned from the depths of our boundless spirit...to become
human through the exercise of our freedom -- that is the law of our Being...(yet) not devoid of law
and necessity. (This freedom) reveals itself at work when we accept and approve with all our heart the being that is committed to us...Thus, the free process of becoming ...human...unfolds as a process of service...obedience and faithfulness to the humanity entrusted to us...
'By its very nature this process is a trial; imbedded in it is the danger of going awry...We are always a potential rebel. We can secretly betray the humanity entrusted to us...we can try to run away from ourselves, from the burdens and difficulties of our lot, even going so far as to take our own life. Under the myriad evansions of (the materialistic), we can stifle the truth of our Being...
'On the other hand, we may withstand this temptation and lovingly accept the truth of our Being. For the moment we shall call this attitude "love of self"...the deep and positive significance of an attitude whose ethical and religious scope is usually overlooked and underrated...Understood correctly, our love for ourselves, our 'yes' to our self, may be regarded as the categorical imperative of faith: You shall lovingly accept the humanity entrusted to you! You shall be obedient to your destiny. You shall not continually try to escape...
'You shall be true to yourself. You shall embrace yourself."
From the forward of Johannes Baptist Metz' "Poverty of Spirit" (an classic which has been translated by John Drury and includes Inclusive Language by Carole Farris):
NOTE: funny that I just read the above and then a few hours later found this same discussion among a precious online community of people across the world with whom I've learned such similarly deep concepts. So, I am hoping, inshallah, to come back to encourage some similar quotes from these dear friends.
Well, I heard the Spirit speaking to me twice before noon with this very same message and want to
get this out to some of my readers before I lose the essence. I posted this beginning here on "No More Crusades" because I feel deeply it's time for each of us to embrace that which is so embedded in each one of us and thereby be slowly yet steadily done with violence toward one another once and for all.
Greetings,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this.
I like this..."our 'yes' to our self," as faith.
All good wishes,
robert
You got it right away as you tend to do.
ReplyDeleteAll good wishes and prayers for you, Robert.
Connie