The Importance of Being Foolish: How to Think Like Jesus by Brennan Manning

Author:Brennan Manning [Manning, Brennan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion, Spirituality, Christian Life, General, Biblical Meditations
ISBN: 9780062032355
Google: sraLQnugnggC
Amazon: 0060834536
Publisher: HarperOne
Published: 2006-06-26T16:00:00+00:00

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

and to seek him in his temple. (Psalms 27:4)

Christians who move toward this place will find peace and pleasure in the divine Enough. Here we stop worrying about what we don’t have because we are taking the time to appreciate and enjoy what we do have. The greater percentage of the unnecessary, self-induced suffering in our lives is eliminated because the addictions that once pushed us toward achieving security, experiencing pleasure, and developing power no longer assert themselves with their absurd demands for instant satisfaction. Worry and anxiety no longer drive us, for we realize they are not borne of the gospel and carry no redemptive significance. They only prolong the times of darkness in our life and can be eliminated by submitting our thoughts to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Of course, in our human condition we aren’t always able to put our minds and hearts on the path of Christ. But we know that these ripples on the surface of our souls cannot become tidal waves when we descend into the inner sanctum of our graced selves and enter into the prayer of listening to our God, who reminds us, “Quiet your heart and be still. I am with you. Do not be afraid. I hold you in the palm of my hand. All is well.”

The effect of this listening is not just internal and personal. When the outside conditions of life no longer make for security or insecurity, when the trivial and inevitable problems of the daily routine have lost their power to splinter our concentration and fragment our existence, we perceive the world as a friendlier place. We experience everyone and everything around us in a different way—not in terms of how they meet our addictive needs but as singular manifestations of truth, goodness, and beauty in the world. We live in rhythm with the mind of Christ Jesus and enter into the flow and harmony of God’s creative design. George Maloney notes: “There is a great experience of unity in finding God in all things. The dichotomy between action and contemplation does not exist anymore.”

The perception of God being enough is the hallmark of the transparent life. Gone are the tensions, hassles, and struggles that signal entrapment by our basest desires. The restless scanning of the horizon for new experiences ceases; the constant churning of the mind for escapes and distractions disappears. Even the occasional lapses into egotistic thoughts are seen as opportunities for growth into a deeper connection with God. Whether acting or being acted upon, we respond with the mind of Jesus Christ. In this lies transparency.

In loving God with his whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, Jesus was utterly transparent and therefore revealed God. In Jesus there was no self to be seen, only the ultimate, unconditional love of God.

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