Thursday, July 27, 2006
4th Day 7-26-2006
Dear Friends/friends,
There is no doubt that we live in turbulent times, with an ever-increasing pace of change both in the world at large, and on a local level, and with conflicts and wars raging in many places. For many in our world the focus of life is on meeting the basic and essential needs for food, shelter, and clothing, with little opportunity for what many of us in the developed world take for granted, while for many in the developed world, the focus is on acquisition, and poverty generally takes on a spiritual dimension exclusively. The rates of depression, suicide, mental illness, and other social problems in the developed countries exceed that of populations in the third world, which blatantly contradicts the popular view that having material wealth leads to a better, and more fulfilled life, and is a manifestation of an inner spiritual emptiness. The problem is not the material things or wealth in and of themselves, no the problem is a spiritual problem. When Jesus was preparing the disciples for his impending death he told them:
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world
giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither
let it be afraid. John 14:27
These words are for us as well, and it is so very important for each of us to experience what the Lord promised; experience his peace not in the letter but in the Spirit. I know that my inner life can be as turbulent as the world around me. Often my thoughts race to and fro when I sit in silent, expectant waiting worship at meeting or with the worship group that meets in my home. This is a spiritual problem too, and its solution is found in Christ Jesus, the one who can speak to my condition just as he can speak to the condition we observe in the world around us. The peace that Jesus promised is not an escape, for he also said that there would be trouble in the world and in our lives, but we need only take his yoke upon us and therein find the deep and abiding peace that overcomes the world and its trials and tribulations both global and personal (Matthew 11:28-30).
Dear Friends/friends,
There is no doubt that we live in turbulent times, with an ever-increasing pace of change both in the world at large, and on a local level, and with conflicts and wars raging in many places. For many in our world the focus of life is on meeting the basic and essential needs for food, shelter, and clothing, with little opportunity for what many of us in the developed world take for granted, while for many in the developed world, the focus is on acquisition, and poverty generally takes on a spiritual dimension exclusively. The rates of depression, suicide, mental illness, and other social problems in the developed countries exceed that of populations in the third world, which blatantly contradicts the popular view that having material wealth leads to a better, and more fulfilled life, and is a manifestation of an inner spiritual emptiness. The problem is not the material things or wealth in and of themselves, no the problem is a spiritual problem. When Jesus was preparing the disciples for his impending death he told them:
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world
giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither
let it be afraid. John 14:27
These words are for us as well, and it is so very important for each of us to experience what the Lord promised; experience his peace not in the letter but in the Spirit. I know that my inner life can be as turbulent as the world around me. Often my thoughts race to and fro when I sit in silent, expectant waiting worship at meeting or with the worship group that meets in my home. This is a spiritual problem too, and its solution is found in Christ Jesus, the one who can speak to my condition just as he can speak to the condition we observe in the world around us. The peace that Jesus promised is not an escape, for he also said that there would be trouble in the world and in our lives, but we need only take his yoke upon us and therein find the deep and abiding peace that overcomes the world and its trials and tribulations both global and personal (Matthew 11:28-30).
Comments:
Links to this post:
<< Home
Robert -- Right on. I am reminded of a line from a Jesse Ed Davis tune where Jesse speaks of the 1950s in the US:
"A psychotic pall so widespread as to be assumed normal ... A plague where everyone tried to materially free themselves; still too shell-shocked to understand to fell what was happening. Everything was getting hopeless."
Post a Comment
"A psychotic pall so widespread as to be assumed normal ... A plague where everyone tried to materially free themselves; still too shell-shocked to understand to fell what was happening. Everything was getting hopeless."
Links to this post:
<< Home
