Thursday, September 1, 2011

Thoughts on Hankypanky

The secular world suggests that hedonism is both natural and good. The secular world encourages everyone to expect professionalism from their neighbors while only sharing amateurishness. There are many conflicts in the world, conflicts real and imagined. Within each of our minds rest the possibility for conflict, for argument, for battle. We are consumed by all types of messages leading to being selfish, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, self-centered.

Modern speech is filled with elisions. In our crowded hectic lives there is much hanky-panky to amuse us and our friends. There is equally enough for us to pan away from with a quiet dignity. It is the search for goodness which animates thoughts of hope, faith, love; the search for kindness often leads to looking at the world with a steady gaze. Life is filled with knowing, seeing, hearing, connecting. Modern life is filled with collecting ideas and other items.

Being sophisticated means challenging everything, expecting and only accepting a worldly knowledge, a worldly attitude that everything is impure, imperfect; that everybody is royally mixed up; that sex and money rule supreme over everyone.

This is pure craziness, pure tomfoolery. This thought encourages sin, automatically discounts sin, reduces it to mere human experience like putting on the wrong shoes, forgetting to put deodorant. Sin is dangerous; sin leads us away from God. In many instances in popular culture the idea of sin is completely eliminated from thought and discussion. Everything is accepted, everything is permitted except thinking of the consequences of our actions.

We expect compassion from others but rarely share it. This is modern urban life.

There is much to learn from here; life is often sly, wry, and empathetic. As Christians each of us has an unique blend of goodness, kindness, and holiness. We possess an unique touch of grace, of desire to help others. There is not just one way to be Christian. There is not just one way to please God.

As Christians we are asked to be candid about our love for God. We are asked to share the Good News, to live the Good News. Our daily lives can lead others to God if they can recognize the humility, charity, obedience, and mercy of Jesus Christ.

Human beings are sentient creatures, learning creatures, trial and error creatures, sinning creatures now more rationalizing than accepting of their own individual failings before God is a sad contingent fact. It is important to note that sin puts up barriers between the individual and God just as secrets puts up barriers between people. Trust is always necessary in every relationship.

The felicities of the human temperament needs nourishment, needs encouragement to grow, to flourish with goodness, holiness, and kindness. There is a delicacy of purpose and gesture which can lead many to God. The technique requires patience and understanding.

We are asked to pray for ourselves and our neighbors. This is essential. We are asked to pray as often as possible. Learn how to praise God. Learn how to give God thanks. Learn how to ask for spiritual knowledge. Learn how to ask for acceptance of God’s will. Learn how to ask for spiritual wisdom. There are many things which are needed to be good human beings and great Christians.

But, simply, take time and learn how to pray.

God presents things beautiful, things bountiful, things glorious for us to experience. God wants our lives to bear the fruits of compassion, obedience, patience, charity, humility, and mercy. Our lives are to be both living memorials and sacrifices of Jesus Christ, leading ourselves and leading others from the darkness of hedonism and selfishness into the light of the Lord.

Simply, we have to learn how to forgive ourselves, and learn how to pray.

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