Amid the tumult of these electrically charged, frenzied times, contemplative living does not propose an escape from our very real, practical, and sometimes intractable problems. On the contrary, it suggests a way of being still, while still being in the storms that rage all around and within us. Like sturdy trees that bend with the breeze, wisdom-inspired living offers a deeper mooring for our being and our doing, which allows for movement even as we are deeply rooted.
Seasoned by tears of joy and lament, prayer-centered presence invites us to welcome the whole world by drawing it into our heart-center. Here theology mixes with theater and prophetic action with poetry, as walls come tumbling down, making way for wonder, woe, and well-being.
—from the book Wandering and Welcome: Meditations for Finding Peace
by Joseph Grant
1 thought on “Wonder, Woe, and Well-Being”
The Christian life involves walking a delicate fine line of tensions and/or seeming contradictions. It is being IN the world without becoming OF the world. It is hating sin but at the same time loving the sinner. It is at the same time keeping ourselves pure & avoiding being contaminated or tainted by the world while allowing ourselves to reach out to touch the world (which gets us touched by the world & its pain) with compassion to be witnesses for the GOSPEL, to intercede for the world, & to make a positive & hopefully impactful difference.
On one hand, we need to do whatever we can to avoid the sins of the flesh & avoid occasions of sin, which I have found it relatively easy to do all my life. I enjoy innocent pleasures, like eating good food & desserts & having good conversations & playing trivia with friends, FACEBOOK (which I use for faith sharing & promoting the GOSPEL of LIFE), drinking coffee & tea, buying clothes, toiletries & light fragrances, singing, getting manicures & pedicures, & I love serving in my various Church ministries. I am blessed that a lot of the fleshly temptations out in “the world” horrify rather than appeal to me. I donate to various charities as automatic recurring donations on my credit card & try to give some money to & speak with homeless people on the street. I am generally a joyful person & I smile a lot & think I radiate a loving & joyful spirit.
On the other hand, as I easily avoid “being tainted by the world” & happily celibate, safe & sheltered, I have the besetting sins of being self-satisfied, self-righteous & tipping over the borderline of being critical, judgmental & proud.
As the Incarnate Son of GOD Our LORD JESUS remained perfectly sinless while spending a lot of time with sinners to the extent of attracting the wrath of the religious leaders. The challenge is how, with the help of the grace of GOD, we can remain holy, pure & righteous without becoming self-righteous, while reaching out in loving mercy & non-judgmental compassion to people who are not only IN the world but also OF the world. That is the challenge of delicate & seemingly delicate fine line of the Christian walk. It’s so easy to fall over on one side or the other. I want to do it right, but how?
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