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Primitive religion is not believed, it is danced!

Arthur Darby Nock

Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
And only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

Elizabeth Browning



Monday, December 19, 2022

Flourish

 

“Peace is not just the absence of conflict; peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference.”

Nelson Mandela

 

Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible - the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.

Virginia Satir

 

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened;

then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

          Isaiah 35:5,6

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weeds flourish

as any gardener knows

 

suddenly there they are

flourishing

button weeds, stinging nettle, crabgrass,

morning glory and thistles

 

the plants I desire?

not so much

it always amazes how much work it takes

to keep the plants I want alive

and flourishing

 

it takes attention, and care

 

a spiritual self is a lot like a garden

it is amazing how quickly things can get messy

and astonishing how difficult it can be to grow the fruits of the Spirit

 

you know

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

 

often, when I think of spiritual gardening

I think of prayer, and meditation

I go to the default belief that I must go inside

 

you know, to that place where the soul meets God

 

and that is certainly part of it

 

but I have come to believe that the garden of God

call it Eden if you will

is bigger than myself

 

and that to flourish spiritually I must move beyond that inner space within

to that space outside myself

and that it is not just a matter of a right relationship with myself

but also a right relationship with others

 

that flourishing involves outward relations with God and with those around me

“Love the Lord with all your heart . . . and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:37–39). “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

 

to flourish spiritually (I believe)

we must look out as well as in

we must find God in creation, and find God in our neighbor

as well as in our heart, mind and soul

 

yes, prayer, mediation and study are important

but so is participation in the redemptive work of God in the world

 

and I believe the evidence of flourishing is not an inward feeling state,

but participation with God in sustaining his creation,

working for a justice

caring for people

 

Spiritual flourishing is not inward, individualistic, and subjective,

but outward, communal, and objective

 

it is incarnational

 

think about Jesus

if anyone flourished spiritually it was he

 

and yes, he went on retreats, and prayed

but mostly he related with others

he taught

and healed

forgave

and fed

 

he washed feet

 

he sat at the table with friends (and enemies)

 

I want to flourish

I know that means inner work,

But it also means outer work

 

it means being part of a spiritually flourishing community

and it means being the hands and feet of God in this world

 

being connected with others in a redemptive

restorative way

 

flourishing means being fed, and also feeding

being loved, and also loving

being forgiven, and also forgiving

 

in my experience

the weeds of fear, doubt, hate, and prejudice

have trouble growing

when I not only love God, but love those around me

 

it is much harder to hate or neglect

much harder to harm or diminish

 

a person you are working with

the person you have served

the person you have seen, face to face

 

I want to flourish

And one way I flourish

Is to work so that all around me flourish too

 

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