December 13, 2007> 9:16 AM
advent > reflection on grace
Last night's Merton Advent reading was a good one. I thought I'd share it with you. He doesn't use the word but it centers on Grace - good for all seasons.
We need to remind ourselves that what we are doing is not a human action; it is divine. This is God's work, not our work. We must be very conscious of that fact because today... people are too often carried away by the merely human side of what is to be done, and they concentrate too much on their own work, their own efforts, and even their own desires, fancies, and inclinations. All these things are good, but they are secondary, and what is secondary has to remain in second place. What is first is God's work, God's Spirit. –Thomas Merton in Alaska
How much do we hear in our "today" about this? "It's about what you do." "It's our actions that count." I've heard/read that a lot in the last few years. I've heard little to counter it. I think we're afraid to counter it for fear of sounding like we're espousing some idea of "praying and doing nothing." If you're not busy either doing something good or coming up with new, creative good things to do, you're seen as some kind of non-Christian lump.
Now, this can fast be taken the wrong way: that I am advocating just sitting around and believing and not doing good things. Not the case at all. I'm not advocating anything at all really. I'm just reflecting on what Merton said there. I think we would all do well to reflect that any good thing we might do is not so much about us doing it as it is about God doing work in and through us in the world. We shouldn't get too impressed with ourselves and what we are doing. We should rightly be impressed with the Spirit of God in us. Let's not try to hard to be the Savior - there already is one. I realize we are incorporated into Him and do His work - His work, not our work. I know I've gotten the two confused on more than one occasion. God give us Grace to live in Your Grace, to work with the right understanding.
December 13, 2007
> 9:16 AM
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