.. Many things also to pass by with deaf ear, and rather to think upon those things which belong to thy peace. .. to turn away thy eyes from the things that displease, and to leave each man to his own opinion, than to give thyself to discourses of strife.
I love hiding away inside a chapel. A quiet one. I think I can stay there for a hour each day, escaping the noise and relishing the sanctuary. But it turns out that this isn't admirable, for a disciple of Christ, while needing tranquil prayer periods everyday, is not an escapee. The deacon said it best yesterday: the most important word (that we often forget) is GO! We have a mission, and so, I'm not sure if the above quote from The Imitation of Christ applies anymore. Certainly not to everyone. Don't go looking for trouble, says the gaffer in Lord of the Rings, but at this age, trouble is on the prowl. The world has become so estranged from Christianity that conflicts have become inevitable. And so the public square that is common to all is a battlefield where one must prevail over the other.
The world that was once upon a recent time largely Christian now holds Christianity in ridicule. Why? I think because evangelization, which was once on the march, has been retreating for generations now. Gravity must be defied if we aim at an upward -- heavenly -- goal.
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