Straight and Crooked thinking

Back in the 1930s, Robert Thouless published a book called ‘Straight and Crooked Thinking’. What I have always found useful is the appendix which contains a section called “Thirty-seven dishonest tricks commonly used in an argument with the methods of overcoming them” This very practical book examines how we use language, the meaning of words and thinking clearly about issues. It sought to shed light on the issues of the day. I believe it is just as current today as it was when it was first published.

In our current climate where people rush to put out opinions, we seem to have produced a reactive culture which undermines the reflective process. The urge of the instant response and the urgent concern which draws us away from ourselves. We surrender ourselves only to the immediate moment rather than considering how we come to that moment as ourselves. Our news is pre-digested and served to us in easy mouthfuls. This draws us away from considering what is important and being able to communicate in a way which sheds light on important issues.

The reason to think clearly is not to draw attention to ourselves but so that others may come to an understanding of where our light is called to shine. As a prayerful people, we are called to be people who love our God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and to love our neighbour as ourselves. This is the heart of the Gospel. 

Be a blessing to others

There is often a common approach to the use of the Beatitudes as a checklist of our Christian growth. To a certain extent Jesus wants us to pay attention to these signs within us and within others. They help us recognize where God’s life is at work within us and helps us to be present to others. However, we need to guard against the belief that we can hold on to them as credentials which will guarantee our entrance into heaven. These are primarily signs to us which point to a reality which does not focus solely on our own achievements but which open us up to God and each other.

They are primarily ways of helping us to discern how God’s life is at work within our community. It would be good to remember that they call us to live a blessed life and to be a blessing to others. They put God at the centre so that with freedom we can show his life at the heart of our own. They are not so much a how to manual but a demonstration of the diving life which is at the heart of creation. The main prayer that we can always make is may my life be a blessing to others.

Healing the darkness not exploiting it!

How do we feel when we want to step out of the limelight and into the shadows? Often events either in our world or in our own lives can seem to overwhelm us and there seems to be no way out. If only we could hide and keep our own counsel. The only problem is that when we cut ourselves off from the rest of humanity or enclose ourselves in our own private kingdom we are more likely to become stuck in a darkness of our own creation.

Wisdom and knowledge are hard fought and easily lost. It calls for us to take a long loving look at the real and to reach out with grace and compassion to who we encounter. We know how easy it is to be caught up in the visceral, where likes and dislikes become the truth of our existence. Yet into this situation where we can easily wallow in darkness we encounter good news which seeks to heal and reconcile. A person who seeks to heal the darkness we encounter within ourselves rather than exploit it. This is not a quick fix but an awareness of what in ourselves, in our communities, and in our world needs healing. This is not done with blunt instruments and harsh words but with a lightness of touch and a surgeon’s care. Most of all by the desire to restore people to a kingdom of hope, faith and love.  

I did not know him myself

I did not know him myself. This extraordinary statement by John the Baptist is at the heart of this weekend's Gospel. But it is not the end of the story. There was an understanding of what he had encountered in prayer and the meeting with the person himself. He saw not only with his mind but also with his heart. Also, he did not witness just for himself but to point others to the person of Jesus. the witnessing was able to point a way for people to meet Jesus.
The same is true of our own lives. We are called to be people who live out our prayer in a way which allows people to encounter Jesus. This is not to draw attention to ourselves but through us that they may grow in a living relationship with Jesus. It presumes that we are able to know the person of Jesus ourselves. This can happen in many ways, through our study of scripture, through our encounters with other people, through our consideration of the way we live our lives and the way we allow our lives to be shaped by our thinking. We never do this on our own but as a Christian community which gathers together to listen to God's word, to receive him in Eucharist, and to live in a way which binds us closer to God and each other. It builds on a rich tradition of Christian theology and practice which has shaped our lives. In this way, we encounter the person of Jesus in our daily lives and can point to him by the way we respond to his life-giving Word.

At whose feet do we lay our gifts?

At whose feet do we lay our gifts? This question can determine the direction in which our lives can develop. This is all about what consumes our time, our talent and our treasure. We called to review what we spend our lives engaged with. The three most useful tools for discernment our diaries, our journals and our bank statements. They tell us where we are spending our time, what we are reflecting on and where we store our treasure. This is all fruit for prayerful reflection. Fundamentally does our life revolve around us and building our own kingdom or do we seek to centre on what God desires for us? Often there is a fear in letting God into our decision making because we do not know which direction this will lead us. Especially in an age of personal autonomy, we can believe that our choices are more important than God’s desires for us. The central principle of the Christian life, however, that God desires for us a life which will bring our choices into union with the divine life. We do are incarnate, body and spirit. What we do reflects how we are called to be in communion with God.