Okay, this one is a bit more on the philosophical side. There are two pieces of advice that I like, but they seem to contradict each other, and I'm wondering if they can be reconciled. One is a quote by philosopher/theologian Howard Thurman. The second is a homily of sorts from a book written by a monk in Colorado. If you have any thoughts, let me know!
"Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
- Howard Thurman
"There's a monk there who will never give you advice, but only a question. I was told his questions could be very helpful. I sought him out. "I am a parish priest," I said. "I'm here on retreat. Could you give me a question?"
"Ah, yes," he answered. "My question is, 'What do they need?'"
I came away disappointed. I spent a few hours with the question, writing out answers, but finally I went back to him.
"Excuse me. Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. Your question has been helpful, but I wasn't so much interested in thinking about my apostolate during this retreat. Rather I wanted to think seriously about my own spiritual life. Could you give me a question for my own spiritual life?"
"Ah, I see. Then my question is, 'What do they REALLY need?'"
- Tales of a Magic Monestary
5 comments:
not sure if i see the contradiction... The Bible states the life comes only through Jesus Christ [Ro. 6:11; I Cor. 15:22; John 5:19-27; John 14:6]. Outside of Jesus Christ, we have no life. Even as a Christian, if I am not keeping close in my relationship to God, I can't fully experience that true life that Christ gives in my day to day life. Hence, if what the world needs is alive people, the only way to be truly alive is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and thus the Monk was correct in implying that giving the world what it really needs and keeping your walk with God close are essentially the same thing.
I really like the first quote, cause it brings out that point that God has created us uniquely and has given us different desires... and if we follow our God-given heart desires and do what makes us feel alive (provided we are seeking God in what we do) we will live out our dreams and give the world what it needs most. A lot of times I hear from others and say myself that I should be doing more good stuff (volunteer, praying for more people, doing more evangelism, etc...). Granted, they aren't bad things... but there is so much that can be fun, I think we forget that God is orchestrating everything and we don't have to be responsible for covering all the bases, just play our part, which is more often than not the thing we love to do best and are probably best gifted in doing.
the need you will best fill is the one that you were made to fill.
(Original comment on Facebook)
I think they are at least partially reconciled if you're looking at it from a Christian worldview.
What makes us come alive more than Jesus, that man who died for us?
And when Jesus was talking to Peter and asked, "Do you love me," to which Peter responded, "Yes Lord, you know that I love you," Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep."
Jesus didn't ask Peter if he loved his sheep; he asked if he loved HIM.... Read More
If we love Jesus, we will fall in love with (and FEED) His people, because that is the way it was designed.
So when the monk asks, "What do they REALLY need?" I doubt he is asking where the greatest need is in the world, because even if that could be determined, going there would accomplish very little. I think it's likely that the monk is stressing the importance of filling other people's needs on our quest to find ourselves. And I think it's likely that Thurman is pointing out the world's need for people who are passionate.
I think for the Christian, the two go hand in hand.
(Original Comment on Facebook)
Yeah, I think the primary call for us as Christians is to passionately seek after Christ in all things. When we seek after Him, then we can be used by the Spirit to do His work, rather than doing it out of our own personal desire to help those who need it. I think it's kinda like the fruits of the Spirit, they are not the cause of a relationship ... Read Morewith Christ, but the result. In the same way, serving others needs to follow from your relationship with Christ, rather than substituting it or preempting it. If you do your best to maintain your relationship with Christ, then His will can be done through you, instead of in spite of you. Besides, I think that what so many people in the world today truly need is the love of Christ to come into their lives, whether or not they are part of the elect, they at least need His love shown to them by Christians who are more focused on Him than on the worries of the world.
(Original comment on Facebook)
Without looking at either saying, remember that just because a quote is curt, witty, poetic, or just sounds good to the ear does not make it true or correct.
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