One of my lecturers once warned me that completing a qualification was an acknowledgment of work done and an aptitude to apply yourself to study. However, as we have learned in our current environment we need to be open to ongoing formation in a world which rapidly calls us to be aware of new knowledge and insights. This is the danger when we start to rely upon on what we have done in the past to justify our work in the present. We are called to be people who learn what is called for today.
In a similar way in our spiritual life, we need to be open to deepening our relationship with the person of Christ. Our prayer calls us to be open to encountering Him in the current day and with a fresh appreciation of how we are called to draw closer. This allows us to take time each day in which we build on the foundations we have made but guides us to a deeper understanding of how we are known by Him. During Advent, we are called to reflect on the places where we become stuck in old habits which paralyze us in the present. This allows us to notice how we are called to produce fruit that is sweet and nourishing not only for ourselves but for all people.
As Paul reflects in his letter to the Romans where he emphasizes persistence and tolerance in reaching out to each other. This calls us into a friendship with Christ which is reflected in how we are called to be friends with each other. Especially at this time when so many things can divide us, we are called to be people who seek to be united in mind and voice. This is the place where peace and justice can flourish.
This calls for a discerning spirit that seeks a spirit of wisdom and insight, counsel and power, knowledge and awe. This understanding of Isaiah is that we are called to be people who breathe in the spirit and speak it out. Thus being known as we allow us to welcome the reign of God which dwells within us. As we journey to Christmas may this be a time when we are gifted with this discerning spirit that seeks to build bridges, not walls.
No comments:
Post a Comment