Saying 76
Jesus said: The Kingdom of the Father is like a merchant with goods to sell who found a pearl. The merchant was thoughtful. He sold the merchandise and bought himself the pearl. You too should seek for long lasting treasures that do not decay, where moths do not come to eat them or grubs to destroy them.
The merchant made his livelihood selling stuff, but after finding the pearl and thinking it over, made the decision to let go of all he had and buy the pearl. This is so much like our third step decision in AA. I offer myself; it is a transaction. I give myself, my time, money, sexuality, food, intellect, thoughts, body). I let go and bought the pearl which has not decayed, died, and nothing has been able to reduce the worth of the pearl. The pearl has unrelentingly given me a way to live in this messy world, has allowed me to fall in love, to see and create real beauty, to seek truth, to know friendship, to have a merciful heart, and feel joy.
Notice, too, that a pearl is formed by irritation, sand disturbing the creature who has been given a way to protect itself and as a by-product creates something beautiful, valuable, luminous, enduring.
Jesus said: The Kingdom of the Father is like a merchant with goods to sell who found a pearl. The merchant was thoughtful. He sold the merchandise and bought himself the pearl. You too should seek for long lasting treasures that do not decay, where moths do not come to eat them or grubs to destroy them.
The merchant made his livelihood selling stuff, but after finding the pearl and thinking it over, made the decision to let go of all he had and buy the pearl. This is so much like our third step decision in AA. I offer myself; it is a transaction. I give myself, my time, money, sexuality, food, intellect, thoughts, body). I let go and bought the pearl which has not decayed, died, and nothing has been able to reduce the worth of the pearl. The pearl has unrelentingly given me a way to live in this messy world, has allowed me to fall in love, to see and create real beauty, to seek truth, to know friendship, to have a merciful heart, and feel joy.
Notice, too, that a pearl is formed by irritation, sand disturbing the creature who has been given a way to protect itself and as a by-product creates something beautiful, valuable, luminous, enduring.
Saying 77
Jesus said: I am the light above everything. I am everything. Everything came forth from me, and everything reached me. Split wood. I am there. Lift up a rock, you will find me there.
Jesus is the light, a mystical body we are all part of, like Jacob, both one and all, individual and nation, man and humanity at the same time. I go to meetings and God is there, because my brothers and sisters are there; we are the one body, the whole body of Christ and yet individuals, too. The "common welfare" must come first just like the priority must be to get out of the path of an on-coming train even though a finger is bleeding. Richard Rohr uses the term "Universal Christ" as everything, under a rock, in a log. There is no space where the Christ is not found. As my new friend JL said yesterday, we are already saved, already part of the whole but we don't realize it. To be restored to sanity is to be restored to our role in the whole body.
Jesus said: I am the light above everything. I am everything. Everything came forth from me, and everything reached me. Split wood. I am there. Lift up a rock, you will find me there.
Jesus is the light, a mystical body we are all part of, like Jacob, both one and all, individual and nation, man and humanity at the same time. I go to meetings and God is there, because my brothers and sisters are there; we are the one body, the whole body of Christ and yet individuals, too. The "common welfare" must come first just like the priority must be to get out of the path of an on-coming train even though a finger is bleeding. Richard Rohr uses the term "Universal Christ" as everything, under a rock, in a log. There is no space where the Christ is not found. As my new friend JL said yesterday, we are already saved, already part of the whole but we don't realize it. To be restored to sanity is to be restored to our role in the whole body.
Saying 78
Jesus said: Why do you go into the desert? Did you expect to see reeds shaken by the wind? To see a person clothed in elegant garments like your kings and courtiers? They wear elegant garments and cannot know the truth.
Reeds grow by water... so don't go to the desert to see them. So too, kings have surrendered their lives to false Gods: money, property, and prestige... I can't know the truth when I'm drunk; the booze blind's me. Likewise, elegantly clothed folks struggle to know truth; false gods blind us.
Jesus said: Why do you go into the desert? Did you expect to see reeds shaken by the wind? To see a person clothed in elegant garments like your kings and courtiers? They wear elegant garments and cannot know the truth.
Reeds grow by water... so don't go to the desert to see them. So too, kings have surrendered their lives to false Gods: money, property, and prestige... I can't know the truth when I'm drunk; the booze blind's me. Likewise, elegantly clothed folks struggle to know truth; false gods blind us.
