The Irish poet, John O’ Donohue made a wonderful statement. I forget his exact words, beautiful though they were. The thought went something like this: sins are the wounds we hold on to and allow to become a poison in us that harms other people.
I love this insight, to me it is Christianity at it’s best and why you folks are worth talking with. It speaks deeply to me, overthrows my cherished excuses, and inspires me to live more courageously, considerately, and lovingly, to heal and help heal those who gift me their presence.
Loving your enemy doesn’t seem to be a popular theme. Ah, well, so it’s not.
You know, the thing I like about the idea of not letting your wounds become a poison that lives inside you, is because it’s real. It sings to me.
One of the things I think is terrible that comes out of the mouths of Christians is the idea that if a person doesn’t forgive they are committing a mortal crime. What an abuse of the abused. Not only were you mistreated, but if you fail to forgive you are in for bigger punishment at the hands of a sulky God. What utter spiritual violence.
Not letting what happened to you become a poison, that’s important. Not letting the thing control you, infect your life, damage the people around you, that’s enough of a challenge for anyone. Forgiveness, ah … that’s not for anyone or any church to demand. Mind your own business. That’s a private and personal thing, it often takes time, it may never happen. Living free of the poison, that’s a worthy challenge, that’s a part of the spiritual life. Forgiveness, get out of here, that’s psycho guilt tripping of the victim.
Great quote friend! The
Sin we hold onto hurts ourselves and others.
I agree, I’m discovering how fears the opposite of Love lead to imbalanced crap in my life. When I go to my Christian fellowship place tomorrow I will share your quote to others.
Hi Jeremy,
I’ll tell you this. I find it easier to love my enemies than to love my neighbors. I think that is because my enemies are not my neighbors, any real enemies I have are not near, not engaging me.
I forget who wrote it but possible John Owen or Oswald Chambers said, and I para-phrase, “If you have no trouble loving your enemies, you have never had an enemy! Someone who follows you around, slanders you, attacks you, brings false charges against you, etc… loving your enemy, when you truly have an enemy is impossible for us without the life and of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit”. This is from memory because I cannot find it, but it is the essence of the thought and it hits home.
Jeremy is the Muslim “theology” pro Christian or anti-Christian?
The Irish poet, John O’ Donohue made a wonderful statement. I forget his exact words, beautiful though they were. The thought went something like this: sins are the wounds we hold on to and allow to become a poison in us that harms other people.
I love this insight, to me it is Christianity at it’s best and why you folks are worth talking with. It speaks deeply to me, overthrows my cherished excuses, and inspires me to live more courageously, considerately, and lovingly, to heal and help heal those who gift me their presence.
Loving your enemy doesn’t seem to be a popular theme. Ah, well, so it’s not.
You know, the thing I like about the idea of not letting your wounds become a poison that lives inside you, is because it’s real. It sings to me.
One of the things I think is terrible that comes out of the mouths of Christians is the idea that if a person doesn’t forgive they are committing a mortal crime. What an abuse of the abused. Not only were you mistreated, but if you fail to forgive you are in for bigger punishment at the hands of a sulky God. What utter spiritual violence.
Not letting what happened to you become a poison, that’s important. Not letting the thing control you, infect your life, damage the people around you, that’s enough of a challenge for anyone. Forgiveness, ah … that’s not for anyone or any church to demand. Mind your own business. That’s a private and personal thing, it often takes time, it may never happen. Living free of the poison, that’s a worthy challenge, that’s a part of the spiritual life. Forgiveness, get out of here, that’s psycho guilt tripping of the victim.
Great quote friend! The
Sin we hold onto hurts ourselves and others.
I agree, I’m discovering how fears the opposite of Love lead to imbalanced crap in my life. When I go to my Christian fellowship place tomorrow I will share your quote to others.
Hi Jeremy,
I’ll tell you this. I find it easier to love my enemies than to love my neighbors. I think that is because my enemies are not my neighbors, any real enemies I have are not near, not engaging me.
I forget who wrote it but possible John Owen or Oswald Chambers said, and I para-phrase, “If you have no trouble loving your enemies, you have never had an enemy! Someone who follows you around, slanders you, attacks you, brings false charges against you, etc… loving your enemy, when you truly have an enemy is impossible for us without the life and of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit”. This is from memory because I cannot find it, but it is the essence of the thought and it hits home.
who did the art work?