Brian’s Reflection: Wednesday, June 9, 2009

The beginning of divine wisdom is clemency
and gentleness, which arise from greatness of soul
and the bearing of infirmities.

St. Isaac of Ninevah


What interests me is that the soul which is growing in Love slowly but surely – or sometimes abruptly! – edits the “received knowledge” of the Mystery we call God.

Does God kill? No. Does God hate? No. Does God send people to a Hell? No. Does God prefer one group of people over another? No. (Even St. Peter said that!) Does God “lead us into temptation”? No. (That’s why I like “Save us from the time of trial” over “Lead us not into temptation”.) Did God create any human being inferior to any other human being? No. Did God make a mistake when She made homosexuals? No. The List goes on and on.

Once we human beings have been honest in looking at ourselves, truly seen our frailty and our weaknesses and our failures in Love, we lose the arrogance of judging others, which is after all just a way of trying to deflect notice of our own deserving of judgment. We gain the “greatness of soul” which grants us Compassion above all things.

“Clemency and gentleness”. Let them pour over us today, and through us to all around.

Brian+