Too Good Not to Share

This may not be fair since I am supposed to be writing my own stuff,  but this is just too good not to share.  This is a Franciscan benediction that struck a chord with me.  Maybe it will with some of you as well....


May God bless you with a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.

May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people.

May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you really can make a difference in this world, so that you are able, with God's grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator, Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word who is our Brother and Savior, and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, be with you and remain with you, this day and forevermore.  Amen.

What a great prayer.  Wish I had written it!  The entire prayer resonates with me but especially the first verse.  That part about "seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart".  What I find is that in seeking truth boldly and loving deeply you begin to see that there is no other way to live that satisfies.  Everything outside of this feels like some kind of pale imitation of the real thing.  I wish I could say that I love deeply all the time, but that is not the case.  I fall down a lot.  I judge where I should not..  I withhold forgiveness where I should not.  I allow myself to feel bitterness toward others whose actions and words offend me.  In short, I am no different from any of you.  We are all the same in our sinful nature and brokenness.  But what is true of me is that I am increasingly aware of my shortcomings.  I can see the times and places in my life where I need Grace.  And so I ask for it.  And what I have learned is that it is always provided.  Sometimes it takes while before I can feel it at work in my stubborn heart.  Other times I can slip back into my old rut even after I have experienced it's powerful effects.  So it is definitely not a one size fits all sort of solution.  Because I fail again and again, in each instance a fresh measure of His love and grace is required.  The good news is that I see the need for it so much more clearly now, so much more often, and I ask for it so much more freely.  That, I believe, is progress!  Or to use a big fancy churchy word " sanctification".  It is the process of sanctification whereby we are all being made more like Him.  We are sanctified by His grace.  John Wesley would be proud.  I paid attention in my Methodism classes!   Wesley was big on sanctification. 
:-)

So go forth.  Seek truth boldly and love deeply.  See what kind of impact it has on your life and the world.  Shalom!    






Sent from my iPad