Words of challenge, words of hope

I'm using a soul-rousing book for prayer lately: The Impact of God: soundings from St. John of the Cross by Iain Matthew. He writes about St. John's call for us to be "inclined" to a certain emptiness of transitory and worldly things. He acknowledges that it is difficult to reach this point in our spiritual lives, and then mentions a few things which can help us along the way.

In order to encourage us, he has us think of what it is like for us to "experience its opposite:"

the weariness of an over-demanding self-image; the claustrophobia of being 'full of oneself'; and the freshness that comes from being told that we do not have to be like that.

IMHO: The beauty of a life of spiritual growth is that if we are attentive, we become aware of God's desire to lift us out of ourselves. In essences, He calls to us saying, "you do not have to be like that; I want more for you and I am here to help you attain it."

This can be hard to hear for those who have grown up with the overemphasized notion that God loves me the way I am. Of course He does. But that love is so great for us that His grace is there to help us with the way I am" part. But for many, those words have been perverted into nothing more than a justification for  remaining right where we are.

Some will quickly quote St. Paul: "by God's grace, I am what I am," but fail to realize that St. Paul speaks these words only after God' grace had touched his life, transformed it, and turned him to a way of life he never would have dreamed possible back on that day when he was holding the coats of those who had stoned St. Stephen to death. Once again, these words are often emasculated and thereby robbed of their power

Multitaskers

A gentle warning from a famous inventor:

Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus.        - Alexander Graham Bell, 1847 - 1922

Classroom Assignment

   Every semester I give my students an assignment to do some on-line research on multitasking and to post their results on a bulletin board we use. Most of the students who do the assignment decide thatit would be a good thing not to multitask when they are doing their work or projects. Some of them even start to turn off the ipods and radios when they are working or driving. The decide this all on their own; all I have to do is get them to do the research.

   Every semester a small handful of students report on articles that present multitasking as a good thing, and even perhaps offer tips on how to do it better. On closer inspection however, we usually find that the articles in favor of multitasking are written by organizations which manufacture or sell things that make multitasking possible.

   You do the math.

Civility in speech and other matters.

The decline of civility in political discourse, in radio talk shows and in other places is one of my common concerns as I get older. I wish this quote would get around. Maybe you can help.

"Definite characters are uncomfortable ones in this world, whether they are criminals or saints. People don't like others with strong opinions, unless they are opinions they hold themselves, and even then they don't admire vehemence in speech."    from Testimony of Two Men (Taylor Caldwell. 1968)

Putting up with the faults of others

  Some words of wisdom are universal; they apply to everyone of every faith or no faith, and of every race and nation and time. This one happens to come from a little book  known as The Imitation of Christ. A google search will offer lots of information about this medieval classic. Any, here is what "hit close to home" today:

Take pains to be patient in bearing the faults and weaknesses of others, for you too have many flaws that others must put up with. If you cannot make yourself as you would like to be, how can you expect to have another person entirely to your liking? We would willingly have others be perfect, and yet we fail to correct our own faults. We want others to be strictly corrected, and yet we are unwilling to be corrected ourselves.

A free pfd copy of this challenging book is available here.

A fool is caught in his own words.

. . . or something like that. I couldn't find the exact quote.

IMHO     Have you ever noticed how some of our most outspoken congressmen tell us more about themselves than about the issues they sound off about? They should just open their mouths and shout: "Hey, everyone! I am a bigot!" "Hey, everyone, I am appallingly ignorant and believe everything I think even though I'm not very good at thinking!" 
   BUT, people who are ignorant or bigoted (two t's?) agree with them and vote for them. That's why they're congressmen. God help us!
   BUT then again, whenever I read history I discover that this has always been true of so many politicians, and somehow we've managed to survive.
   BUT then again, the same thing applies to some radio talk show hosts, and they are popular with the unthinking masses.
   BUT then again, it also applies to a lot of preachers or self-appointed demigogues.

And then again it's probably true of all of us, myself included, but today I just wanted to sound off about legislators today after reading a few news items.

Distractions, the Mass and Taoist principles

I got distracted for a few minutes yesterday during Mass, as everyone does at times. Meanwhile the Mass kept going along without my inner participation; it does keep flowing along and if we ”check out” by being distracted, we can always “return” when aware of the distraction. Just let it be, let it flow through you without getting stuck in you (or you getting stuck in it). If and when that happens no matter how often it happens, we are each welcomed back and can take up our places anew. IMHO, there is no need for reproach or self-reproach, no need for any guilt or blame or discouraging scrupulosity. We simply come back with a new awareness, a return to mindfulness, a return to the Now. We simply return and are blessed. It’s that simple.

More about distractions: there are several activities of the mind that serve to keep us distracted, off track, out of balance with the inner peace we are meant to have, that elusive state-of-being which a Taoist would call  harmony with the universe or harmony with Tao. These are some of those activities which keep us off balance: interests, habits, excuses, worry, stress, intellectualism, scheming and desires. Deng Ming-Dao notes that “it is inevitable that one will fall in and out of Tao.” I respect that realism, and it is what prompted my thoughts about distractions at Mass.

Have you ever wondered . . .

. . . what it would be like to sneeze while you were coughing? It happened to me just this morning. First time in my life. Very weird experience. Not really enjoyable. And the noise I made was rather unique. All small animals within a 100 foot radius fainted.

Really. Well, ok, not the part about the animals.

Update, 2/24: It happened again this morning. I wonder if it has anything to do with aging?