Tradition is not a museum, true religion is not a freezer, and doctrine is not static but grows and develops, like a tree that remains the same yet which gets bigger and bears ever more fruit.
There are some who claim that God spoke once and for all time--almost always exclusively in the way and the form that those who make this claim know well.
They hear the word "discernment" and worry that it's a fancy way of ignoring the rules or some clever modern ruse to downgrade the truth, when it is quite the opposite.
Discernment is as old as the Church. It follows from the promise Jesus made to his disciples that after he was gone the Spirit "will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13)
There is no contradiction between being solidly rooted in the truth and at the same time being open to a greater understanding.
The Spirit continues to guide us in our translating the Good News into different contexts, so that the words of Jesus continue to resound in the hearts of men and women in every age.
The Spirit shows us new things through what the Church calls "signs of the times." Discerning the signs of the times allows us to make sense of change.
In interpreting and praying over events or trends in the light of the Gospel, we can detect movements that reflect the values of God's Kingdom or their opposite.
---Pope Francis in Let Us Dream: the Path to a Better Future
I read the paragraphs above this morning and thought they seemed very timely for the horrific mass shooting this week at a Texas elementary school.
Sadly, as usual, the overall response emanating around our nation seems to be "not again" and "let's just keep pointing the fingers like we always do."
Such paralysis is not healthy for a nation nor its people.
That's why the words from Pope Francis struck a chord in my mind. Basically, they suggest that we should steadfastly stick to our principles but should also open to flexibility in adapting these principles to the times.
Possibly, those who lead could demonstrate such flexibility by using discernment in finding solutions rather than standing in opposite corners, figuratively and sometimes literally glaring at each other.
Such a change in behavior would truly honor the dead and restore faith in our leadership.
That's all.
Just seemed like some good food for thought.
I saw some pretty sights in my afternoon drive yesterday.
While on my drive, I looked at the time and figured that Annie may be on her plane to Norway, so I sent her a note.
Sure enough, she had boarded, and the plane was hot.
This morning, first thing, I sent a note, asking, "Are ya there yet?"
A few minutes later, I received a "Yep."
Since 3:50 p.m. yesterday afternoon, Annie has touched down in Iceland, landed in Oslo, and, as I write, is flying to Harstad.
Upon looking at Facebook this morning, I saw that she had already done some geocaching in Norway while on her layover.
She'll stay in Harstad, which is north of the Arctic Circle, for the next few days and then head to Estonia for a few days.
Annie with her friends Ari and Chip in Oslo, earlier this morning.
Some Thursday Throwbacks . . . .again, just a grab bag from about 15 years of pictures. Always fun to scroll through the library and see photos I haven't thought about for years. And, of course, the memories reflected in each are precious.
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My friend Becky and her hubby, the late Boots Reynolds when they signed up for our Lodgepole Society. |
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Miss Lily after she came home from a month of training as a 3-year-old. |
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Sister Laurie and brother Jim geocaching. |
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Sisters Barbara and Laurie dug the post holes for our fence in the west yard. |
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Bill visiting with Ed and Becky Hawkins and family "outlaw" Jim Thompson at Roman Nose Lake. |
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Three generations: Mother, me and Annie. |
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Lefty and Laurie back in Lefty's show days. |
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For those who don't know, Viggo lives part of the year near Clark Fork, Idaho. |
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