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 proclaim 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 will speak louder than our words, we can trust that our words will remain humble.
Henri Nouwen, from Bread for the Journey
Thinking of my remark the other day, about not necessarily practicing what I preach, and of Fran's lovely and perceptive comment on it, this is a perfect illumination of that by Nouwen. At least I can hope that I "may gradually grow into the truth [I] speak!"
4 comments:
This is really timely for me. I get around all the time lately feeling like a hypocrite, so THANK YOU Mike in damp Dorset for writing this :)
Oh Mike - I am writing a post about your comment on our blog and here I find one you wrote about my comment.
I am grateful to be part of such community and that we have "one mind and heart in God" as we do.
How we may grow, by tending, loving, encouraging one another. Praise God for that.
(Sorry - using a different ID than St. Edward's at the moment, but it is me!)
Thank you both!
Yes, Fran, I am so grateful too to be part of such a community - across oceans and denominations, we are one in Christ Jesus!
How we may grow, by tending, loving, encouraging one another. Praise God for that.
Amen!
Love & blessings
Mike
I echo:
How we may grow, by tending, loving, encouraging one another. Praise God for that.
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