Brian’s Reflection: Monday, June 15, 2009

"Full of cow-pats."

- Edvard Grieg, commenting on the music he wrote for
Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt” [ “In the Hall of the Mountain King” ];
Grieg was born on this date, 1843 [he hated the music!]


Well. Life is like that. Full of great piles of ….. dung (since I probably shouldn’t say shit) – and many of them of our own making!

One of the great Christian (and other faith’s) “tools” of living is Repentance, and its corollary, Acceptance of Forgiveness. Come on - everybody’s Life is dotted with Cow Pats! They happen a lot. (Have you heard Grieg’s music; it’s iconic now – and it is full of musical Cow Pats!! Really!) We give them too much power.

A priest friend of mine once said this about Repentance: “It’s a quick bow of acknowledgment, a low sweep to the ground, and then we forge on.” I agree.

Yes, we need to “know” ourselves. To be honest, ruthlessly so. But I think that “God” wants us to survey the field, make what amends we can, and move on. Life has too many acts of love and kindness to do to be held back by the messes we have made.

Are you wallowing in Cow Pats that should long ago have been buried? Think about it today. Bury them. Forge ahead with all the Love you can muster.

Brian+