Everything within me is ill
"Get Together by Getting Together"
The only way that I know how to get people together is to start getting people together. When they start dealing with each other, they start learning who they are. They start getting feelings and resentments. They start getting hurts. They say, Brother, why are you getting hurt right now? What’s hurting you? What need isn’t being met? What are you afraid of? OK, let’s deal with that. Don’t run from it. Unless you’ve make some commitments, unless you understand loyalty, that’s the point where you’re going to move out. That’s why there are and must be marriage vows. Who of you in the second year of marriage wouldn’t have run away? The Lord gives you that pledge, that promise to hold you in there. It’s the same way in the Church: We’ve laid our lives down for one another. I’m not free to pull back on my love commitment to my brothers and sisters. Where you see unity, trust it. Now you might think I’m going to say the converse of that: Where you see disunity, distrust it. No. Where you see disunity, lay down your life until there is unity. What else would the cross be? What else will redeem the broken world? Did you ever notice that God had to lock Noah and all the wild and creeping things in the ark? God know they would try to escape from their own salvation (see Genesis 7:16).
From The Spiritual Family and the Natural Family - Richard Rohr
Do I believe that this is the way?
I really, really like the idea. But yesterday I had a little confrontational phone call, and I realised much of my exercising goodness is just to justify my worth as a person. "Please like me... please continue to like me..." How can I love others and be free of agendas? Forgive others out of generosity? The "right thing" is something I learned from environment, experience with others and textbook. What if the right thing to do promises no success or financial security, will I carry on doing the right thing?
"Love your neighbour as yourself..."
Maybe this is the first step towards being a secured person, liking myself and give myself respect?
Commitment to love, even loving my enemies... I might have to experiment more with the Way being shown here. Bit my lip, suck it up and try it out for awhile to testify.
What else will redeem the broken world? Did you ever notice that God had to lock Noah and all the wild and creeping things in the ark? God know they would try to escape from their own salvation (see Genesis 7:16).
Interesting thought there.