Comments on: Mother Teresa http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/mother-teresa/ Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:23:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: ericdarylmeyer http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/mother-teresa/#comment-1983 ericdarylmeyer Sun, 16 Sep 2007 21:42:58 +0000 http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/mother-teresa/#comment-1983 Relatedly, another figure of contemporary adulation, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, evidently struggled with suicidal thoughts and temptations. Like Nick, I'm amazed at his drive and his perseverance--despite the dark side of his psyche. I have a hunch that most of us don't see nearly as much light (nor darkness) as these figures. --See the footnotes at the end of Bonhoeffer's thoughts on Suicide ("Self-murder") in "Ethics" for the reference. Relatedly, another figure of contemporary adulation, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, evidently struggled with suicidal thoughts and temptations. Like Nick, I’m amazed at his drive and his perseverance–despite the dark side of his psyche. I have a hunch that most of us don’t see nearly as much light (nor darkness) as these figures.

–See the footnotes at the end of Bonhoeffer’s thoughts on Suicide (”Self-murder”) in “Ethics” for the reference.

]]> By: Paul Morgun http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/mother-teresa/#comment-1962 Paul Morgun Thu, 30 Aug 2007 18:22:03 +0000 http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/mother-teresa/#comment-1962 I really like that quote thanks Rick! I really like that quote thanks Rick!

]]> By: Rick S http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/mother-teresa/#comment-1961 Rick S Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:46:55 +0000 http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/mother-teresa/#comment-1961 The temptation to analyze our experience with God as if we had the tools to assess how well or how poorly we were performing spiuritually seems too great to resist. If love and commitment can exist in human relationships even when feelings may wane, then certainly my relationship with God is still a relationship when my experience is less than what I hoped for. Every relationship in life has dry seasons if you stick with someone long enough. I'll weigh in with words from another Catholic I admire, even with his flaws. Henri Nouwen, "Can we only speak when we are fully living what we are saying? If all our words had to cover all our actions, we would be doomed to permanent silence! Sometimes we are called to procalim God's love even when we are not yet fully able to live it. Does that mean we are hypocrites? Only when our own words no longer call us to conversion. Nobody completely lives up to his or her own ideals and visions. But by proclaiming our ideals and visions with great conviction and great humility, we may gradually grow into the truth we speak. As long as we know that our lives always speak louder than our words, we can trust that our words will remain humble." The temptation to analyze our experience with God as if we had the tools to assess how well or how poorly we were performing spiuritually seems too great to resist. If love and commitment can exist in human relationships even when feelings may wane, then certainly my relationship with God is still a relationship when my experience is less than what I hoped for. Every relationship in life has dry seasons if you stick with someone long enough.

I’ll weigh in with words from another Catholic I admire, even with his flaws. Henri Nouwen, “Can we only speak when we are fully living what we are saying? If all our words had to cover all our actions, we would be doomed to permanent silence! Sometimes we are called to procalim God’s love even when we are not yet fully able to live it. Does that mean we are hypocrites?

Only when our own words no longer call us to conversion. Nobody completely lives up to his or her own ideals and visions. But by proclaiming our ideals and visions with great conviction and great humility, we may gradually grow into the truth we speak. As long as we know that our lives always speak louder than our words, we can trust that our words will remain humble.”

]]> By: Jon Hamm http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/mother-teresa/#comment-1953 Jon Hamm Tue, 28 Aug 2007 05:39:26 +0000 http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/mother-teresa/#comment-1953 Who invented the idea that Christians should never question what they believe? If I pour everything I have into something and give my life up for it, doubt would be the first thing I would expect to struggle with...I think you nailed it, Gil - many biblical authors use much stronger language to convey their sense of God's absence from time to time - and for good reason. Not really sure what i'm trying to say, but I feel like we run from doubt as Christians as if it's some terrible evil, when in reality we can learn through it; it can refine our experience and bring us closer to God. Who invented the idea that Christians should never question what they believe? If I pour everything I have into something and give my life up for it, doubt would be the first thing I would expect to struggle with…I think you nailed it, Gil - many biblical authors use much stronger language to convey their sense of God’s absence from time to time - and for good reason. Not really sure what i’m trying to say, but I feel like we run from doubt as Christians as if it’s some terrible evil, when in reality we can learn through it; it can refine our experience and bring us closer to God.

]]> By: nick http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/mother-teresa/#comment-1952 nick Tue, 28 Aug 2007 03:09:48 +0000 http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/mother-teresa/#comment-1952 i think the most remarkable part of the story is that she continued to do such amazing work despite her doubts. most would say that she did her work because of the strength of her beliefs that she was doing it for God. with the strength of her belief now seeming somewhat weaker it's even more amazing that she continued to live the life that she did. “There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in - that we do it to God, to Christ, and that's why we try to do it as beautifully as possible.” -Mother Teresa i think the most remarkable part of the story is that she continued to do such amazing work despite her doubts. most would say that she did her work because of the strength of her beliefs that she was doing it for God. with the strength of her belief now seeming somewhat weaker it’s even more amazing that she continued to live the life that she did.

“There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in - that we do it to God, to Christ, and that’s why we try to do it as beautifully as possible.” -Mother Teresa

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