Friday, November 1, 2013

A More Glorious Day

Yet lo! There breaks a yet more glorious day! The Saints triumphant rise in bright array!

Last night in our spiritual growth group we wrestled over what it means to repent, and what it means to live a "perfect" life.  So lo and behold I came across a reading this morning that commented upon our discussion, and reflected some of our thinking.

"There must be both ethics and doctrine in every gospel we present to the world.  But the moment ethics predominates over doctrine,  the moment, that is, that the thought of man ousts the thought of God from the place of primary honor the whole purpose of a gospel is undone, whether the gospel be Christian or any other.  Ethics, the teaching about man and the conduct proper to him, centers a person's thoughts upon himself; and the end of self-centerlines* is unethical and unevangelical alike.  It is bound to result as St Paul so clearly showed either in spiritual pride or in spiritual despair; and by neither of these roads can we find our true destiny.  The path of purity, humility, and self-sacrifice is only possible to those who can forget themselves, can disinfect themselves from egoism; where the mind is centered not upon self, but at least upon one's fellows and their needs, and at most and at best upon God, and our neighbors as seen through the eyes of God."  from The Vision of God by Kenneth Kirk and included by Atwell and Webber in their volume of readings Celebrating the Saints.

* he speaks about self-centerlines and God-centerlines.

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