real people

231. There also exists a constant tension between ideas and realities. Realities simply are, whereas ideas are worked out. There has to be continuous dialogue between the two, lest ideas become detached from realities. It is dangerous to dwell in the realm of words alone, of images and rhetoric. So a third principle comes into play: realities are greater than ideas. This calls for rejecting the various means of masking reality: angelic forms of purity, dictatorships of relativism, empty rhetoric, objectives more ideal than real, brands of ahistorical fundamentalism, ethical systems bereft of kindness, intellectual discourse bereft of wisdom.

Pope Francis

Kierkegaard would (maybe?!) say that the single individual is more important than the abstraction. When it is flipped over, you have leveling. One step further would be to suggest that ideals (abstractions) can create reality – “if we can measure it, we can create it”.

So Francis is just a closet Kierkegaardian!

wait in hope

Daily writing prompt
What details of your life could you pay more attention to?
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Solitude and prayer!

I could pay more attention, become more intentional, concerning my periods of prayer. In the past, Anchorites had a book of people they prayed for daily. In some monasteries, it is part of the liturgy to read these names everyday. I could have more time for mental prayer during the day.

And maybe be a little more protective of my solitude. To be open to periods of silence and simply “be” in the moment. Not to worry about being “productive”. Not to chase the next “book high”.

To wait for the Lord in hope. Not to rush or seek to do it myself. To listen to myself and do what I preach.

Anyway, I have a doctor’s appointment so …

going into the desert

Daily writing prompt
List three jobs you’d consider pursuing if money didn’t matter.
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I am delighted where I am “at” right now. I like the context for my “vocation”. So no changes are necessary at the moment!!!!!

But I have thought about “going into the desert”. Could I live completely off the grid? Without contact, without modern communications. I often feel I am still way too much in the world – still too entangled. I have absolutely no idea how that would happen. And I am certain it would be a real struggle for me physically and emotionally. But sometimes I wonder!?

Wish you were here

Daily writing prompt
What’s your all-time favorite album?
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This is pretty easy – Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here. It is the first album I purchased with my own money on cassette. It was in the original blue case, and I played side 2 nonstop. But I remember being absolutely freaked out by Welcome to the Machine.

I still listen to it most weeks. Now, it’s on some streaming service, and I still like the second half better. And I am still completely freaked when I hear the lift open.

holy days

How do you celebrate holidays?

Holy Days are celebrated with Te Deum at Morning Prayer and Second Evening Prayer.

One of the things about living alone – being solitary – is that days fade into each other. So I am glad for the liturgical year that reminds me of important events and people. I like that time is regulated by Jesus.

others and me

Daily writing prompt
Do you see yourself as a leader?
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I am no leader. I lack the interpersonal skills, the confidence, the insight, and the prudence to lead. My thought pattern is too confusing, And let’s face it: a little on the eccentric side. My emotions get involved too quickly and everything becomes a reflection of “me”.

That does not, however, mean that “others” do not see me as a leader. It is a position that I have been pushed into through circumstances – a completely unwarranted and unwanted position.

So …. no!