Yesterday I posted the Franciscan Blessing which begins…”May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.” I think a lot about the easy answers. What are they? Why am I driven to live deep within my heart and to hear a voice that few here. This voice or resonance in my heart causes me anguish and joy. The pain of my life is the blessing of my life though most it of the time I miss that.
All around me I’m surround by a world and culture that lives on half truths and superficial relationships. Policy makers of all stripes seem intent on deception, but maybe they are so deceived that they are not aware of the deception. They’re not bad people and the world isn’t bad. Both the people and the world are created by the Almighty. They’re patterned in the image of the most high. “Most High Glorious God enlighten the darkness of my heart”, a simple prayer of St. Francis. Living deep within my heart is the respect for all life. It is jaded at times by peeves and worries, but it continues to burn deep within. I cannot betray it.
I see paradox after paradox being lived out in front of me. Physical vision with spiritual comprehension. Remember, “He who has ears let him hear, he who has eyes let him see.” I thank God that I have ears and eyes that see more than what is right in front of them. Maybe that’s the problem, the people, the governments etc. can’t see beyond what’s right in front of them. Maybe the focal point is the issue. Maybe my discomfort causes me to see beyond. Maybe it is the distance that I need.
I’m reminded of the scene in the movie, “Patch Adams” where the older gentleman in the asylum suggests that Patch look beyond the hand directly in front of him. This awareness comes from my daily contact with Franciscans and others who help me to look beyond. Maybe this awareness is the “night vision goggles” of the spiritual life.
“You will be holy with the holy, kind with the kind, with the chosen you will be chosen, but with the crooked you will show your cunning.For you will bring salvation to a lowly people but make the proud ashamed…”–Psalm 17
Look beyond. Don’t look at what’s right in front of you. Look beyond the easy answers…
nice site.