"Our claim to our own bodies and our world is our catastrophe." - W.H. Auden
I've been away from congregational worship services and Bible studies for a couple of years. Thank goodness they exist, for the structure they provide and the opportunity to get in a mindset of gratitude and warmth toward others. As they say, in my current season of life I find more peacefulness through smaller group or one-on-one settings to talk about matter of faith.
On Friday Dena and I had something of a "faith lunch" together, a chance to talk about how the happenings in our personal lives over the last week had strengthened our faith or grown out of a weakness of it. And one of the topics that came to mind was similar to the Auden quote above.
It would be a bit embarrassing to track the number of hours I've wasted in targeted anger toward other people. And at the same time I've never felt angry at God, even when Dad contracted liver cancer at such a young age. That's because in the big picture I have the joys of life, health, laughter, security and so many others. So I think that it would be a big turning point for me to be able to relate to those around me not as thousands of individuals with their own powers and self interests, but as part of the collective creation orchestrated from a single source. What appears to be misfortune is often the seed of something greater down the road. I'm thankful to be part of the great plan.
No comments:
Post a Comment