Comments on: Quote of the Day http://commadotcomma.net/blog/2006/10/18/quote-of-the-day-5/ on the omphaloskepsis bandwagon Sat, 04 Sep 2010 02:05:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Stephanie http://commadotcomma.net/blog/2006/10/18/quote-of-the-day-5/comment-page-1/#comment-17261 Stephanie Sat, 30 Dec 2006 17:55:39 +0000 http://commadotcomma.net/blog/2006/10/18/quote-of-the-day-5/#comment-17261 I like Bonhoeffer's response to your query, of course, but the answer that came to my mind is, "No, we don't always get a payoff from those people. But we are pleasing the heart of God. And I do believe that our sowing is returned to us through this act." I also think of the kingdom of God. Every time we react in love instead of hate, we are building the kingdom all around us. And while the kingdom may be invisible and intangible, its continual strengthening can only affect us for the good. In fact, I think of Christian singer/songwriter Sara Groves here, and her song, "Kingdom Comes:" When anger fills your heart When in your pain and hurt You find the strength to stop You bless instead of curse When doubting floods your soul Though all things feel unjust You open up your heart You find a way to trust That's a little stone that's a little mortar That's a little seed that's a little water In the hearts of the sons and the daughters The kingdom's coming I like Bonhoeffer’s response to your query, of course, but the answer that came to my mind is, “No, we don’t always get a payoff from those people. But we are pleasing the heart of God. And I do believe that our sowing is returned to us through this act.”

I also think of the kingdom of God. Every time we react in love instead of hate, we are building the kingdom all around us. And while the kingdom may be invisible and intangible, its continual strengthening can only affect us for the good. In fact, I think of Christian singer/songwriter Sara Groves here, and her song, “Kingdom Comes:”

When anger fills your heart
When in your pain and hurt
You find the strength to stop
You bless instead of curse

When doubting floods your soul
Though all things feel unjust
You open up your heart
You find a way to trust

That’s a little stone that’s a little mortar
That’s a little seed that’s a little water
In the hearts of the sons and the daughters
The kingdom’s coming

]]> By: Erin http://commadotcomma.net/blog/2006/10/18/quote-of-the-day-5/comment-page-1/#comment-13791 Erin Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:20:49 +0000 http://commadotcomma.net/blog/2006/10/18/quote-of-the-day-5/#comment-13791 Tara-- Another thing we have in common: only liking a few devotional books. Yes, Bonhoeffer can be pretty great, can't he! Oh, I also want to add to my original post that I do believe that a life filled with hope, expectation, and obedience will have cumulatively positive results. Tara– Another thing we have in common: only liking a few devotional books. Yes, Bonhoeffer can be pretty great, can’t he!

Oh, I also want to add to my original post that I do believe that a life filled with hope, expectation, and obedience will have cumulatively positive results.

]]> By: Tara http://commadotcomma.net/blog/2006/10/18/quote-of-the-day-5/comment-page-1/#comment-13724 Tara Mon, 23 Oct 2006 19:25:50 +0000 http://commadotcomma.net/blog/2006/10/18/quote-of-the-day-5/#comment-13724 Erin, as I was reading your post and scrolling down, I thought, oh, Bonhoeffer is so good on this question . . . and then there he was! I've never liked devotional books much, but I've been reading "A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer." It's full of moments of such profound insight that cuts through my cloudedness and selfishness with such purity and grace that it takes my breath away. Erin, as I was reading your post and scrolling down, I thought, oh, Bonhoeffer is so good on this question . . . and then there he was! I’ve never liked devotional books much, but I’ve been reading “A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer.” It’s full of moments of such profound insight that cuts through my cloudedness and selfishness with such purity and grace that it takes my breath away.

]]> By: Erin http://commadotcomma.net/blog/2006/10/18/quote-of-the-day-5/comment-page-1/#comment-13599 Erin Fri, 20 Oct 2006 09:16:12 +0000 http://commadotcomma.net/blog/2006/10/18/quote-of-the-day-5/#comment-13599 Kate, I hear you! I love your matter-of-fact honesty. It is pretty easy for me to love people these days, but that's because it's all abstract-- I have no friends, family, or coworkers around to bug me (Even my neighbors only come out after dark). The daily grind, cheek-by-jowl with my fellow humans is what gets hard. In the past I have really struggled with impatience and annoyance towards certain people. Well, maybe struggled is putting it too charitably. Some people I just had no interest in learning to love. Could Bonhoeffer's words apply to the run-of-the-mill annoying people too? One thing this church sermon series has talked about, in so many words, is that we have the power to set the terms of engagement with people we find difficult. When we feel annoyance or impatience, it is often because we are unthinkingly (is that a word?) reacting to the other person, instead of interacting with them. With practice and self control, that impulse can slowly fade, or so I hear. An experiment I haven't tried consistently yet, but would like to, is praying for and blessing the person internally as soon as the negative reactions arise. I'm hoping that that will help me more quickly connect and identify with God's love and perspective. In the past one way I have dealt with difficult relationships is by withdrawing-- if I don't care anymore, the sandpapery interactions lose their abrasiveness. But I don't think that's the way to go, either. Is it that you continue to care about the person but stop caring about their more annoying characteristics? I don't think that's it, either. If someone never tips the wait staff, I will never get to the point that it doesn't bother me, and maybe I shouldn't. Love can't mean overlooking, not caring, withdrawing, or pretending. Forgiveness must fit in there somewhere, methinks. Kate, I hear you! I love your matter-of-fact honesty. It is pretty easy for me to love people these days, but that’s because it’s all abstract– I have no friends, family, or coworkers around to bug me (Even my neighbors only come out after dark). The daily grind, cheek-by-jowl with my fellow humans is what gets hard. In the past I have really struggled with impatience and annoyance towards certain people. Well, maybe struggled is putting it too charitably. Some people I just had no interest in learning to love.

Could Bonhoeffer’s words apply to the run-of-the-mill annoying people too? One thing this church sermon series has talked about, in so many words, is that we have the power to set the terms of engagement with people we find difficult. When we feel annoyance or impatience, it is often because we are unthinkingly (is that a word?) reacting to the other person, instead of interacting with them. With practice and self control, that impulse can slowly fade, or so I hear. An experiment I haven’t tried consistently yet, but would like to, is praying for and blessing the person internally as soon as the negative reactions arise. I’m hoping that that will help me more quickly connect and identify with God’s love and perspective. In the past one way I have dealt with difficult relationships is by withdrawing– if I don’t care anymore, the sandpapery interactions lose their abrasiveness. But I don’t think that’s the way to go, either. Is it that you continue to care about the person but stop caring about their more annoying characteristics? I don’t think that’s it, either. If someone never tips the wait staff, I will never get to the point that it doesn’t bother me, and maybe I shouldn’t. Love can’t mean overlooking, not caring, withdrawing, or pretending. Forgiveness must fit in there somewhere, methinks.

]]> By: kate http://commadotcomma.net/blog/2006/10/18/quote-of-the-day-5/comment-page-1/#comment-13583 kate Thu, 19 Oct 2006 21:29:19 +0000 http://commadotcomma.net/blog/2006/10/18/quote-of-the-day-5/#comment-13583 Argh. When it comes to me, I'm often left wondering, 'How do I love someone, when I don't even like them? I just plain wish I could do without them in my existence?' And I sort of hate myself for even thinking that way about someone. Even someone VERY ANNOYING. I have a long way to go here. I guess -- I hope -- it's just treating them as if I DID love them? But I'm a bad liar. God, help! I know I didn't deserve God's love in the first place. I'm not complacent about that. But ... I still simply just don't like a couple of people whom I'm forced into everyday contact with. And these aren't even the mean, possibly evil people of which you speak. The true persecutors. Argh. When it comes to me, I’m often left wondering, ‘How do I love someone, when I don’t even like them? I just plain wish I could do without them in my existence?’ And I sort of hate myself for even thinking that way about someone. Even someone VERY ANNOYING.
I have a long way to go here. I guess — I hope — it’s just treating them as if I DID love them? But I’m a bad liar.
God, help!
I know I didn’t deserve God’s love in the first place. I’m not complacent about that. But … I still simply just don’t like a couple of people whom I’m forced into everyday contact with.
And these aren’t even the mean, possibly evil people of which you speak. The true persecutors.

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