MEDITATIONS

01

GENERAL CHRISTIAN

LETTING GO

The rich young man in the gospel, unlike most of his contemporaries, was in control of his own destiny. His wealth gave him a security and a protection other men did not have. Jesus required of him that he yield his self-guaranteed security for a security that Jesus would guarantee. The rich young man was afraid to give up complete and absolute control of his life. In our age, in our country, most people have material possessions that the rich young man would never have dreamed of; we attempt to control our own personal destinies not so much by piling up wealth but rather by refusing to take risks, by 'playing it cool,' by not permitting ourselves to become too enthusiastic about the gospel.... Like the rich young man, we are unwilling to give ourselves over to Jesus. But our attempts at self-control are rooted not so much in our financial independence as they are in the unending supply of excuses we have for living just ordinary lives. We are as unwilling to give up our excuses as the rich young man was his possessions.

Most of us are worriers. We would, indeed, be quite unhappy if there was nothing to worry about. Our personalities seem to be great blobs of free-floating anxiety drifting around looking for some fearful event upon which to fatten in order to justify our worrying proclivities. There are a number of reasons for this need to worry. It is rooted in the very fabric of our personalities, in our inadequacy to cope with critical situations. But worry is also a marvelous excuse, for the anxious, nervous, worry-ridden person says in ef

fect to the world around him, "Look, I am concerned about the problems. I am so concerned that I have become almost a babbling wreck. You can't expect somebody like me who has been made almost incoherent by concern to do anything about the problems that I face. Is it not enough that I am worried about them?" In other words, worry is a substitute for action and a justification for inaction. It is the plea to others that they excuse us from doing anything besides worrying. Not to put the matter too harshly, worry is a copout. When Jesus says to our turbulent anxiety, "Peace, be calm," we would rather like it if the waves would drown out the sound of his voice; for if we were "calm" it would really be necessary for us to live and act as men and women of faith.

03

It is hardly a surprise, therefore, that when all the daily racket is shut off, a new noise turns on, rising out of all those vague feelings which scream for attention. The person who enters a quiet room still doesn't experience inner silence. When there is no one to talk to, and no one to listen to, an interior discussion starts up which almost seems to get out of hand. The many unsolved problems demand attention, one care forces itself upon the other, one complaint rivals the next, all plead for a hearing. Sometimes a person is left powerless in the face of twisted sentiments which he cannot untangle.

It makes you wonder if the diversion we look for in the many things outside us might not be an attempt to avoid a confrontation with what is inside. "What should I begin when I'm through with all my work?" This question leads many people to flee from themselves and to hold fast to any number of things which make them feel like they're still busy. It's as if they were saying: "Where do I turn when I have no more friends to talk with, no music to listen to, no paper to read, and no films to see?" The problem here is not

whether a person can live without friends or without feeding his eyes and ears, but that there are many people who can't stand to be alone, to shut their eyes, to gently push aside all the assorted noises and to sit calmly and quietly.

04

Hope means to keep living

amid desperation

and to keep humming

in the darkness.

Hoping is knowing that there is love,

it is trust in tomorrow

it is falling asleep

and waking again

when the sun rises.

In the midst of a gale at sea,

it is to discover land.

In the eyes of another

it is to see that he understands you.

....

As long as there is still hope

There will also be prayer.

And God will be holding you in his hands.

05

Compassion is daring to acknowledge our mutual destiny so that we might move forward all together into the land which God is showing us. Compassion also means sharing another's joy which can be just as difficult as suffering with him. To give another the chance to be completely happy and to let his joy blossom to the full. Often you can do nothing more than present a bleached smile and say with some ef