"Peter approaching asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times."- Matthew 18:21-22
One of the many afflictions of being a human is that we are often prone to misunderstanding. At work, I am expected to be the specialist in my field and guide the office management team and their staff in working in accordance with regulation. Over the past week, I have made two distinct clarifications for the staff and management team but my intention was not received the way I thought it should have been. Misunderstanding may very well be the root of many arguments and fights in many relationships. These disagreements often escalate many situations. Usually at this point feelings are hurt and communication comes to a halt. When communication stops we lose the Christian identity of our relationships. To bring that into focus it would be easier to think that when communication stops, communion stops. When we lose that communion with each other, we take away from the unity and community that we share in the body of Christ, the Church. The prayer of St Francis offers a quick solution to many of these disagreements as he put that we should no so much seek to be pardoned as to pardon. We survive in such a disenchanted state that it is sincerely amazing to me that some people live at all. We are called to live a holy life but sometimes the definition of holiness is misunderstood. Do we sometimes pray and not hear the voice of God calling to us? Is there so much going on around us that we are constantly distracted? Is God working through the people around us? One of my favorite worship songs has the line "You sing all around but I never hear the sound..." Lord, today let me hear that sound...
"Jesus, my everything, I am so tired and weary. This road I travel is too steep, too narrow. Guide me to the way holiness, guide me to the way back to you. Help me to see that you have always been with me through it all and give me the courage to let you carry me home. In a special way we pray for the little ones of Norway who have been tragically deprived of their lives. May you who live and reign forever with with Father and Spirit hold them and keep them with you for all eternity. This we ask in your name. Amen."
One of the many afflictions of being a human is that we are often prone to misunderstanding. At work, I am expected to be the specialist in my field and guide the office management team and their staff in working in accordance with regulation. Over the past week, I have made two distinct clarifications for the staff and management team but my intention was not received the way I thought it should have been. Misunderstanding may very well be the root of many arguments and fights in many relationships. These disagreements often escalate many situations. Usually at this point feelings are hurt and communication comes to a halt. When communication stops we lose the Christian identity of our relationships. To bring that into focus it would be easier to think that when communication stops, communion stops. When we lose that communion with each other, we take away from the unity and community that we share in the body of Christ, the Church. The prayer of St Francis offers a quick solution to many of these disagreements as he put that we should no so much seek to be pardoned as to pardon. We survive in such a disenchanted state that it is sincerely amazing to me that some people live at all. We are called to live a holy life but sometimes the definition of holiness is misunderstood. Do we sometimes pray and not hear the voice of God calling to us? Is there so much going on around us that we are constantly distracted? Is God working through the people around us? One of my favorite worship songs has the line "You sing all around but I never hear the sound..." Lord, today let me hear that sound...
"Jesus, my everything, I am so tired and weary. This road I travel is too steep, too narrow. Guide me to the way holiness, guide me to the way back to you. Help me to see that you have always been with me through it all and give me the courage to let you carry me home. In a special way we pray for the little ones of Norway who have been tragically deprived of their lives. May you who live and reign forever with with Father and Spirit hold them and keep them with you for all eternity. This we ask in your name. Amen."
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