Brian’s Reflection: Wednesday, Dec 31, 2008


It is better to eat meat and drink wine and not to eat
the flesh 
of one's brethren through slander. 



- Abba Hyperechius, early Christian sage


Ah, the tongue! Christian Scripture reminds us that, though the “smallest of organs in the body”, it can do the most damage.

The tongue has many masters/mistresses: pride; arrogance; lack of self-worth; anger; meanness; the list is endless. When we are “taken over” by any of these tyrants, anything is likely to come out of our mouth, especially if we are not paying attention to what’s going on in Life, our Life.

It is hard work, keeping ourselves protected from vulnerability to all those things that afflict and twist the human spirit! It is hard work to “remember” how essentially beloved, valued, treasured we human beings are. So easy to be down on ourselves.

There is a lot of nonsense that has been written over 2000 years of Christianity, believe me! Nonsense promoting self-abasement and hatred, renunciation of the “flesh”, denigration of humanity, human degenerateness. None of this is commensurate with the God of Love.

So, eat, drink, enjoy the gifts of Life. But never make dinner of a sister or brother. If you hear yourself doing so, you know you are in trouble. You know you have abandoned your humanity.

Repent and ask God for it back. You will be renewed.

Brian+