Today's Word

Today’s Word: Consciousness

Steve · August 12, 2013 · 4 Comments

Self portrait in shadow and brown grass. SJG photo

They’re the tiniest of errors
He made them every day.
Ignore them, they’re forgotten
But, never really go away.

– John Caravelli, The Tiniest of Errors

Have you ever driven somewhere and, upon arrival, realize that you remember virtually nothing of the trip? Here’s a better question: Have you ever come to the end of a year and wondered where it all went and what you did with it? Been there, wondered that…

This is one of the greatest challenges of our busy lives. All too often, we’re leading Socrates’ “unexamined life,” which, as we all know, is “not worth living.” Our days, weeks, months and years rush by in a flash of seasons, holidays and anniversaries, and we find ourselves a year older and with not much else to show for it. That’s why most philosophers, poets and theologians can all agree on at least one thing: Stop and smell the roses. Or the coffee. Or the strawberries. Or whatever it is that will slow you down a bit and help you appreciate what’s going on around you.

St. Ignatius suggests an “examination of consciousness” at the end of each day. This is not just a recounting of our sins and failings (although they may creep in…) but rather a prayerful recollection of the myriad ways that God has touched our lives. “Ignore them, they’re forgotten,” as my friend John writes in his song. But when we take the time to remember them, we are blessed and made all the more aware of the countless ways that God insinuates himself into our lives everyday.

Ask yourself in silence: How did God enter my life today? What people, experiences and moments (now in hindsight) spoke to me of God? And perhaps most importantly, how can I be more aware tomorrow?

Today’s Word: Signs

Steve · August 11, 2013 · 4 Comments

Signs, whether informational or directional, are really just stand-ins — symbols — for real things. The street sign is not the street. The stop sign is not the law. The map is not the journey. And yet, we need these signs to help us get around, understand where we are and where we want to go, and keep us safe. We’d be pretty lost and confused in a world without signs.

Henri Nouwen once wrote: “We, as followers of Jesus, are sent into this world to be visible signs of God’s unconditional love. Thus we are not first of all judged by what we say but by what we live.” So like it or not, aware or not, we are all walking signs. We are symbols that either proclaim the unconditional love of God or tell the world that we’re all on our own and there’s no hope for joy, life or anything beyond our small little lives. Either way, we’re signs. Spiritual sandwich boards. So what are we saying and where do we point?

Ask yourself in silence: What signals am I sending out to the world? Do my actions and my words point to God and invite others to a life of faith or do they leave others wondering what it is I stand for?

Today’s Word: Barriers

Steve · August 9, 2013 · Leave a Comment

In his poem “Mending Wall,” Robert Frost’s neighbor tells him that, “Good fences make good neighbors.” That’s probably very good advice for New England farmers with wandering cows, but as spiritual advice it leaves us on the wrong side of the fence, so to speak. Indeed, Frost gives better spiritual counsel in the very first line of the same poem: “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.”

Knowingly or unknowingly, we erect barriers in our lives that keep God at a distance, or at least at arm’s length. We get too busy. We work too much. We worry too much. We drink too much. We have too many things in our lives that, while perhaps not bad or evil in themselves, nevertheless become distractions and obstacles to a life of pursuing God through prayer and worship. We build walls when we should be building gateways that connect God with the rest of our lives, where our work and our time can be made holy by God’s presence and touch.

Ask yourself in silence: What are the barriers that keep me from seeking God? What do I do instead of spending time in prayer?

Today’s Word: Lamp

Steve · August 8, 2013 · 2 Comments

Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, near Mendocino, California. SJG photo

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

Physically and metaphorically, we have lots of good sources of light in our lives. We flip switches and trust that the lamps will always come on. We awake each morning knowing that the sun will rise to illuminate the earth. Teachers and parents pass on the light of knowledge to their charges. Doctors, nurses and other healing professionals are led by the light of science to care for those in need. It’s no wonder that the creation story begins with: “Let there be light.” God knew — and continues to know —what we most need.

Light, in its many forms, uses and meanings, is perhaps God’s ultimate gift. Without it, we would literally and figuratively be in the dark, our lives only shadows and figures in fog. Spiritually, God lights our way through the darkness of our lives with his Word — with words of scripture left to light our paths, and with the ongoing presence and movement in our lives of Jesus, the Incarnate and living Word. Lamps for our bewildered feet.

Ask yourself in silence: Which lamps light my path? How much do I trust the living Word of God to show me the way through the darkness of life’s questions?

Today’s Word: Memory

Steve · August 7, 2013 · 6 Comments

So much of our lives as Christians is based on memories. The holy scriptures, of course, are the inspired memories of those who witnessed the history of the Jewish people, the life and passion of Christ, and the early days of the church. Many Christian denominations recall Jesus’ last supper with his followers by celebrating the Eucharist or Holy Communion. We do this, as scripture encourages us, “in memory” of him.

But so, too, do our own memories matter. When we remember the early days of our faith — whether as children or adults — we can see how much we have grown in relationship with God. And that growth is crucial to having a mature faith. Think of it this way: If our relationships with our spouses or other loved ones never grew stronger over the years, we would think something was wrong. We would want more. And yet, sometimes we remain complacent in our faith. We don’t push ourselves to “more” or “closer” with God for any number of reasons. Sometimes it may be just because we forget to remember where we have come from and neglect to consider how much further we could go if we only reached out to God.

Ask yourself in silence: What are my first memories of faith? What are the first precepts I learned? How much has my faith and my understanding of God changed over the years? Am I happy with my spiritual growth?