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Wonder...
“I have seen so many miracles in my lifetime. Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder, and He gave it to me.”
[Rabbi Joshua Abraham Heschel]
"I asked for wonder, and He gave it to me."
A philistine will stand before a Claude Monet painting and ask how much its worth; a person filled with wonder will stand there fighting back the tears.
A philistine will listen to a Mozart symphony and think about how uncomfortable the theatre chairs are; a person filled with wonder will discover something new about herself.
A philistine will sing every word of Amazing Grace and never once hear it’s message; a person filled with wonder will barely be able to get the words out between sobs.
So...here's my question: Why can't I love the philistines? Why do I harbor so much anger toward people who aren't wired like me? Is it because I want them to see the beauty in life so badly, or is it simply because I'm jealous of the pain they avoid?
5 comments:
i love Heschel!
i think its a good question. i mean is difficulty loving ever about them? it seems to me that its always about me. i don't think Jesus would ask us to do something thats impossible.
maybe its why he never asked us to change anyone...
but ourselves.
Nearer, my God to thee,
Nearer to Thee,
Even though it be a cross that raiseth me.
i mean is difficulty loving ever about them? it seems to me that its always about me.
I concur...its always about me.
maybe its why he never asked us to change anyone...but ourselves.
So true...that sentiment runs thru a lot of my "evangelism" posts.
Interesting dialog, loving sometimes is most difficult when I recognize how deceitful my heart can be. I often wonder why some go through such deep refining and then I ask what is wrong with my heart to be void of such refinement and transformation
So...here's my question: Why can't I love the philistines?
A better question is: What is LOVE?
In America I LOVE my car, my cat, my house, my shirt, my work, my vacation, my wife, my kid, my pepsi, my lunch, my football team, my girlfriend, my church friend(s), the list goes on and on.
In the Bilbe there are 3 different words all translated to our one word LOVE. AGAPE LOVE is GOD's LOVE. It is the hardest to do. It requires us to push self aside and put God first. Then you can love the philistines. It also requires action. Agape love is an action word, it's a verb. So you can not sit around trying to love others, you must put your love into action. Jesus said, love your neighbors, be a good samaritan, by your love people will know that your a beliver.
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