Brian’s Reflection: Wednesday, June 29, 2011

I have no right, by anything I do or say,
to demean a human being in his own eyes.
What matters is not what I think of him;
it is what he thinks of himself. To under-
mine a man's self-respect is a sin.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author (“The Little Prince”);
he was born on this date, 1900 (died 1944)


I have always been very happy that the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer of 1979 included this vow in the Baptismal Office: “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?”. The rite makes it absolutely clear that acknowledging, supporting, and defending the dignity of every human being is at the core of the Christian path.

So, here’s yet another challenge of living the Gospel: keeping this principle before our hearts, minds, tongue, and actions as we move through each day. This is at the heart of Prayer.

No, it isn’t easy! Every moment has so many distractions, so many “temptations”. It is very easy to be distracted, sidetracked. I have a little List I keep in my pocket. I change it and revise it now and then as I continue to grow and learn in Charity and Compassion. One day I’ll share the List!

Remember though: if you make such a List, you must also learn to forgive yourself, and to rejoice in being a human being who tries their best to live this Truth. Failure is but an invitation to begin afresh.

As with so many things, it is the Journey and not the End that is most important.

Brian+