February 28, 2016

The recorded lecture on The New Testament which we watched this morning before Meeting dealt with the wide array of Christian faiths which have evolved from centuries of efforts to ascertain the historical facts of Jesus’s birth, life, death and resurrection; to discern His purpose and teachings; and to serve that purpose and to apply those teachings to ever-changing circumstances.  These great efforts have resulted in great differences and great conviction in the correctness of one’s views and the error of others’ views.  The history of conflict among Christians, despite Jesus’s message of love, suggests that the proverbial tree of the knowledge of good and evil is better seen as the tree of the perception of the knowledge of good and evil.

February 21, 2016

When I have the presence of mind to refrain from acting out of habit, there are many questions I might ask in trying to discover “What is going on here?” and to decide “What shall I do here?”  I think those questions are in two different groups or files or, if you will, baskets. 

The first basket is full of questions arising from anxiety, fear, judgment and insufficiency.  Reaching into that basket, I get questions like, “How can I avoid discomfort?” “How can I get control?” “How can I look good here?” and “What can I get out of this?”

The second basket is full of questions flowing from compassion, curiosity, forgiveness, and growth.  In this basket I find questions like, “What is wanted or needed?” “What can I do to help?” “What can I learn here?” and “How can I wholesomely manage my yearnings?”

So the silent starting point becomes asking, “Holy Spirit, please guide me to the right basket.”

Trusting God - and God in people

If I completely trusted God to provide for, and to safeguard, those who are important to me, I would naturally experience little stress.  However, to me, trusting God means trusting God's human agents - including myself.  And the number of people who are, in one way or another, important to anyone paying compassionate attention to world affairs is huge.  So, strive as I may to perceive and fulfill my responsibilities as a father, family member, friend and citizen (let alone as an agent of the Holy Spirit) and trust as I may that others will do so - well, my confidence is not such that I am free of stress.  But it is enough to guide me to peace of mind most of the time.

The higher math of Life.

I have written about what I call "the math of Life": a good life is the sum of enjoyed days.

I have written about what I call "the economics of Life": the study of how we use our time, physically, mentally and spiritually.

These notions suggest a higher math of Life, that is, the sum of days not just enjoyed, but full of growth, contribution to others and the peace which comes from having done one's best to live up to one's blessings and values.