Brian’s Reflection: Friday, August 20, 2010

If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together
to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work but
rather, teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


THAT is what “religion”, as the handmaiden of Faith, should be about! Teaching us “to long for the endless immensity of the sea”.

The Church is “a ship”. We should be building it. But alas we keeping trying to build it by “herding people together to collect wood “ and assigning them “tasks and work”. We Christians who are “being the church” does mean that we have to build. But we too often forget the Essence.

The Longing! That is the Essence!!!!

This principle is so very true of so many human things! Relationships, Love, Charity, etc. The building of them does require that we remember the Heart of it all: “seeing” and “longing for “the endless immensity of the Sea”. The Universe and Ourselves are two of those Immensities. “God”, properly understood, is as well.

Are you a Builder of Ships? Are you a person longing to set sail on the Immense Sea?

Paint the “endless Immensity”. Seek it.

The “Ship” will build Itself.

Brian+