the economy of God

Do you wish to have love?

If you wish to have love, you must leave love.

                               Mechtild of Magdeburg

___________________________

 

narcissism

being overly focused on the self

 

on one’s own wants

own needs

own ego

 

does not work

 

I am not talking about healthy self-esteem

an appreciation of self

 

I am not talking about healthy boundaries

where one keeps the predators from eroding and destroying

 

I am talking about that prioritization of one’s own self

That “me first”

America First

Party First

Place that consumes and devours all around it

 

I believe if Jesus were hanging around today (in the flesh)

he would actually say “Christianity First”

is a problem

just as he struggled with that attitude in the religious zealots of his day

 

the problem here is that if we are looking inward

we can’t see the people around us

 

if we are always protecting we can’t reach out

 

if we are always taking

we can’t give

 

if we are always grasping for adoration

we can’t adore

 

if we are always seeking power

we can’t empower

 

if we are always seeking to dominate

we can’t serve

 

Jesus is always presenting us with paradoxes

it you want to live, die

if you want to be full, empty yourself out

if you want to receive, give

 

it is the odd economy of God

 

we are seeing, in real time

what happens when we get selfish

 

when we hug money to ourselves

we get economic inequity, and people go hungry

and are homeless

 

when we refuse to consider others

Covid-19 runs rampant, and kills

 

when we refuse to leave our comfort zones

racism flourishes

 

when we refuse to allow controls on our guns

children die

 

when we make it all about ourselves

we pile pain upon pain

and some of the pain is ours

 

as we end up “cut off” from others

 

if we want to be secure and safe, we must reach out

 

if we want to receive, we must give

if we to be respected, we have to offer respect

 

If we want power, we have to empower

 

if we want real power, we have to empower those around us

 

if we want to be fulfilled, we have to serve

 

for in the economy of God those who die shall live

those who are last shall be first

 

and love comes, only when it is given away