Dear People Whom God Loves,
In this column concerning Angel or Beast, I want us to reflect on:
Dishonesty Honesty is perhaps foundational for our human, spiritual journey. I think that this is so. Honesty leads us to humility, compassion, acknowledgment that we are not in charge, that we cannot walk alone, that we need something more than ourselves.
When I speak of honesty, I don’t just mean not telling lies, not stealing, and matters that we ordinarily associate with honesty. These are good, but I want us to reflect on honesty at a deeper level. I am speaking of honesty in seeing what is real. We will never fully see reality as it is. It is important that we keep moving in that direction.
As we grow in the honesty of seeing ourselves as we really are, we will also grow in our ability to see everything else as it really is.
This honesty reveals that we bear the image and likeness of God, that we are truly precious. It also reveals that there is much in us that is ugly and destructive. We need both. Without seeing both, we will be self-righteous about our goodness or we will despair of ever amounting to anything. Ironically, I think that we can be stuck in both unhealthy self-images.
When we are honest about ourselves, we will recognize the beast within us. With this realization, humility is forced on us as we recognize that we are screwed up human beings like everyone else.
As we realize this and that we are at the same time good and valuable, we will grow in compassion for ourselves and others. We are not all in exactly the same boat, but we certainly are in similar boats.
More next time.
Smile, God Loves You,
Father Clay
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