GOD'S IMPERFECT MESSENGER

I take comfort in the fact that we are all God's imperfect messenger. The trick is to mentally move that comfort from me alone to you, too. To you when I see you as wrong and your wrong is butting up against my right. That's when you, as God's imperfect messenger, get a tish hazy in my mind.

We live in a world of personal prejudices...that's probably the human condition. The road to peace of mind, though, is to quit excusing our prejudices because "that's the human condition," and get on with doing our spiritual growth exercises. Quit talking, start walking.

I'm reminded of this because of a conversation I had just yesterday with a friend about one of my current bugaboos, a whole class of people, unfortunately. I heard myself saying that I could not love them as a whole...I could only love each one of them separately and personally as s/he came into my mind. Which is true, but I was brought up short when the thought occurred that I need to practice that on those who are a lot closer to me...as in, friends who tick me off. Unfriendly acquaintances whose actions I take personally. Purifying my thoughts, divorcing myself from my own opinions...that's where the spiritual work comes in.

Turning within to God with a full expectation of peace, love and joy flowing forth toward Gertrude who stepped on my toes...really hard and I know she did it on purpose...is a lot different from thinking of, say, Rush Limbaugh...who steps on my toes with every word he speaks...and imaging him with roses and rainbows around his being. Which I've never done in my life, I race to add, but that's the sense of it all.

Rush, too, is God's imperfect messenger...not one whit different than I am. Now that is humbling...which is a good start.

Thank you.