[The following is from Henri Nouwen's Bread for the Journey]
"The largest part of Jesus' life was hidden. Jesus lived with his parents in Nazareth, "under their authority" (Luke 2:51), and there "increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with people" (Luke 2:52). When we think about Jesus we mostly think about his words and miracles, his passion, death, and resurrection, but we should never forget that before all of that Jesus lived a simple, hidden life in a small town, far away from all the great people, great cities, and great events. Jesus' hidden life is very important for our own spiritual journeys. If we want to follow Jesus by words and deeds in the service of his Kingdom, we must first of all strive to follow Jesus in his simple, unspectacular, and very ordinary hidden life. "
What hits me the hardest from this excerpt is my overwhelming desire to be spectacular and how much my desires are not to be like Jesus but to have his 2011 status.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
A Simple Life in a Complex World
There are times when life can seem very complicated. Just watch a political talk show for a half hour and it seems that there are never simple solutions to an issue. Or one person seems to have all the answers and if only they were in charge then things would simply fall into place.
Or take an issue of injustice, such as poverty. It might be fine if we were able to just given a million micro-loans and stimulate some people but there are always layers: environmental scandals causing widespread disease contributing to lose of hope and apathy...the list goes on.
Before my mind can even venture into these things, I easily get overwhelmed with living my own (despite it being relatively privileged) life.
Recently I read something that really put this into perspective for me. Henry Nouwen writes,
"What is important is how well we love."
Hmmmm...
Or take an issue of injustice, such as poverty. It might be fine if we were able to just given a million micro-loans and stimulate some people but there are always layers: environmental scandals causing widespread disease contributing to lose of hope and apathy...the list goes on.
Before my mind can even venture into these things, I easily get overwhelmed with living my own (despite it being relatively privileged) life.
Recently I read something that really put this into perspective for me. Henry Nouwen writes,
"What is important is how well we love."
Hmmmm...
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Refresh
Yeah...so much for everyday.
Starting anew. So I think my new goal is to write everyday, not necessarily post everyday. I have got to learn to pace myself! One day at a time.
I did abandon this for a while. I thought that I was being too ambitious and that I needed to find another way to get/be motivated. Yet the longer I go without an outlet for my thoughts, the more I find the desire for and need of it. I've come to the conclusion that journaling just won't cut it anymore. The time it takes for my brain-to-pen response is far too slow, making it far too laborious.
This seems to be the next best option. Typing is fast and doing so in a random word document seems just too...silent. Or isolated. My hope, again, is that as I process life that somehow clarity may be brought...and that whatever joy I get from writing would be refined in this space for God's purposes.
A toast to day one. :)
Starting anew. So I think my new goal is to write everyday, not necessarily post everyday. I have got to learn to pace myself! One day at a time.
I did abandon this for a while. I thought that I was being too ambitious and that I needed to find another way to get/be motivated. Yet the longer I go without an outlet for my thoughts, the more I find the desire for and need of it. I've come to the conclusion that journaling just won't cut it anymore. The time it takes for my brain-to-pen response is far too slow, making it far too laborious.
This seems to be the next best option. Typing is fast and doing so in a random word document seems just too...silent. Or isolated. My hope, again, is that as I process life that somehow clarity may be brought...and that whatever joy I get from writing would be refined in this space for God's purposes.
A toast to day one. :)
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