TGIF!
THANK GOD it is FRIDAY!
I am worn out...long day!
I am so torn about what to share today -- Henri outdid himself...
At first, I wanted to share his insights on the Incarnation as Jesus' descent into greatness -- the spiritual principle being DOWNWARD MOBILITY [rather than the upward mobility that our culture always seems to champion -- even in the church]...
But, I opted for the following quote because it spoke deeply to my journey today: "We are tempted to grasp rapid solutions instead of inquiring about the validity of the questions..."
Chew on that one a moment...
He continues: "Our inclination to put faith in any suggestion that promises quick healing is so great that it is not surprising that spiritual experiences are mushrooming all over the place and have become highly sought after commercial items. In our desperate need for fulfillment and our restless search for the experience of divine intimacy, we are all too prone to construct our own spiritual events. In our impatient culture, it has indeed become extremely difficult to see much salvation in waiting."
Today, I spent over an hour each with five terminally ill patients -- a man who can no longer speak due to brain cancer, an old man who just said no to chemo so his last few days will yield quality of life, an old woman living in a motorhome [being charged $650 per month in rent -- what a sin!] who was so short of breath that she couldn't talk and eat at the same time, an Alzheimer's patient who spent an hour walking aimlessly around her house trying to remember where she was [while I encouraged her husband of 33 years as he watches her "die in stages" right before his tearful eyes] and a broken old redneck from SC who is wasting away hoping for one more conversation with a wayward son so they can take care of some "unfinished business" so he can die in peace.
Pretty intense stuff...
None of these encounters lended themselves to "rapid solutions" -- there are NO easy and quick answers to pain like this...
I was better off today "inquiring about the validity of the questions" -- asking heartfelt questions and then LISTENING and LISTENING and LISTENING...
I am educated way beyond my intelligence -- high school, college, Master of Divinity, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry -- I kept on going to school because I wanted to have ANSWERS -- to be a pastor who could SOLVE people's problems.
I wanted to have ALL the right ANSWERS...
How arrogant!
I will be 50 before our lenten journey is over [3.19.09] and I have finally learned something profound -- asking the right QUESTIONS and LISTENING [really LISTENING] is better than treasuring the illusion of having ALL the RIGHT ANSWERS...
Questions...
Listening...
Closing our one mouth and opening our two ears...
WHO do YOU need to listen to today???
Blessings!
guy
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Guy,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this excellent blog on the third day of Lent, I pondered how to respond to the nuggets you presented. Then, I realized the best response for me was not to “talk” by writing, but to listen again and again to your nuggets and the stories you told about real people experiencing real life. . . . silence and listening will really help me capture a sacred relationship with our Father.
Thanks for sharing your life-filled stories about real people who don't obtain quick fixes and quick successes.