Greetings!
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi.
In the yearning soul of every man has a desire for the transcendent divine. He longs deeply to drink in the intimate affection of friendship. For the man who seems unmoved by such statements, the sad truth is that disappointment has robbed him. Hopelessness, like some nefarious fog, has shrouded his heart in the shadows of dark abandon. His existence is little more than a grim search for momentary relief, a brief chance to escape the desolate labyrinth of life.
However, for men whose soul has been awakened, they discover an impassioned exuberance igniting a spark in the deep chambers of their heart. Their minds are illuminated by the light of Christ’s life. These men, while moved by yearning desires and deep longing, also feel deeply the pain of disappointment and know the dark despair of hopelessness. The difference lies in that their life is animated by rich interaction and meaningful purpose.
The above two paragraphs can come across a bit more like a story than real life. There are many in our current culture who find language like that above rather poetic, somehow disconnected. The more common and “blue-collar” our words, they may claim, the more accurate it conveys real life. Sadly, our understanding is stunted as we devalue language that seeks to unveil the deeply emotional and spiritual terrain of our faith journey. We lose the ability to “see” the rich undercurrents of God‘s providential care, considering empirically verifiable data as the only “real” stuff of life.
How does all this help me communicate Gandhi’s statement? For one thing, in order to plummet the depth of Gandhi’s words, we must first realize that, regardless who captures God’s truth, we must learn to recognize it. In other words, this is God’s world. He can use whomever he chooses to reveal his thoughts. Another point is this: discovering the truth of any statement requires critical thought. Simply put, intelligently evaluating any truth claim requires us to think carefully through an issue.
As Knights of Uncommon Valor, God calls us to be “wise as serpents” (Matthew 10:16 KJV). This kind of wisdom is not merely intellectual, but, since true wisdom comes from God, it nurtures a Christ-like character (see James 3:17-18 in both NIV and The Message). Change begins with us. God is the source of authentic change. And the change we desire to see in the world must be the change we see in ourselves - first.
In His Service,
Jeff
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi.
In the yearning soul of every man has a desire for the transcendent divine. He longs deeply to drink in the intimate affection of friendship. For the man who seems unmoved by such statements, the sad truth is that disappointment has robbed him. Hopelessness, like some nefarious fog, has shrouded his heart in the shadows of dark abandon. His existence is little more than a grim search for momentary relief, a brief chance to escape the desolate labyrinth of life.
However, for men whose soul has been awakened, they discover an impassioned exuberance igniting a spark in the deep chambers of their heart. Their minds are illuminated by the light of Christ’s life. These men, while moved by yearning desires and deep longing, also feel deeply the pain of disappointment and know the dark despair of hopelessness. The difference lies in that their life is animated by rich interaction and meaningful purpose.
The above two paragraphs can come across a bit more like a story than real life. There are many in our current culture who find language like that above rather poetic, somehow disconnected. The more common and “blue-collar” our words, they may claim, the more accurate it conveys real life. Sadly, our understanding is stunted as we devalue language that seeks to unveil the deeply emotional and spiritual terrain of our faith journey. We lose the ability to “see” the rich undercurrents of God‘s providential care, considering empirically verifiable data as the only “real” stuff of life.
How does all this help me communicate Gandhi’s statement? For one thing, in order to plummet the depth of Gandhi’s words, we must first realize that, regardless who captures God’s truth, we must learn to recognize it. In other words, this is God’s world. He can use whomever he chooses to reveal his thoughts. Another point is this: discovering the truth of any statement requires critical thought. Simply put, intelligently evaluating any truth claim requires us to think carefully through an issue.
As Knights of Uncommon Valor, God calls us to be “wise as serpents” (Matthew 10:16 KJV). This kind of wisdom is not merely intellectual, but, since true wisdom comes from God, it nurtures a Christ-like character (see James 3:17-18 in both NIV and The Message). Change begins with us. God is the source of authentic change. And the change we desire to see in the world must be the change we see in ourselves - first.
In His Service,
Jeff
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