This blog receives a fair amount of traffic – about 3 or 4 hits per day on average this past month but seems to not generate responses such as is expected of a social media product. Therefore, I thought I would share with you every once in a while some of my more personal journal reflections to help you look into some of the processes that have been shaping my thoughts. In case you are interested, the text that has been very helpful to me over the years is the Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages interpreted by Joan Chittister. Here is one of my entries from today:
Giving Life to One Another
We must learn how to give life to one another if we are to become true community, lest we continue to risk being a collection of people or parochial groups living in isolation of one another even though living among each other.
Community is something that one and / or whole groups of people do, not something that is only thought about. When the idea of community is not acted on, thinking alone perpetuates abstracting the idea of community. Abstract thought must be acted on if the idea is to become tangible and real. But action only in the material aspect of community is not sufficient, for our actions are the real measures of our spiritual depth. The true measure of our spirit is accounted for in our actions; hence “accountability” is but one key aspect where the capacity to “love” (the reason for our actions) is the other. Thinking about it is easier than doing it.
Peacemaking happens when folks take the responsibility for their thoughts and act. The kind of peace acted on is the true measure of the spirit of the community.
Posted by John Fair 