From: John Brooks
Columbus
Thomas Aquinas wrote, “I can see thanks to the sunlight, but if I close my eyes, I cannot see; but this is not the fault of the sun but mine.”
I think the quote starts our discussion of Benedictine humility. Benedictine humility and our relationship with God, as Sister Joan Chittister writes in her book "A Spirituality for The Twenty-First Century," is “the sun and its light, the ocean and the wave, the singer and the song. Not one. Not two.”
Benedictine humility offers a perspective of living a life that understands that God provides our opportunities, but it is our choices that determine our direction. The opportunities require work, and embedded in our choices are intended and unintended consequences. But a loving God is ours and no matter what our choices, through his grace, we find ourselves in a sea of endless opportunities.
In this sea of endless opportunities, challenges present themselves. Our opportunities are beginnings that are multi-dimensional and multi-directional in that one choice leads to another, and another, and one choice leads us in many different and unique directions. But the challenges are not to be feared or avoided, they should be embraced and cherished. The challenges are what make us who we are. They are why two individuals facing the same opportunities experience different challenges and make different choices.
Living in our choices are the human emotions. We find happiness, joy, love, compassion, kindness, humor, and understanding; however, we also find greed, selfishness, anger, jealousy, idolatry and competitiveness. It is not the fault of the opportunity when our choices lead us in a wrong direction or when our emotions alter our understanding — it is ours. Our emotions, evolving over time, are influenced by our previous choices and the choices of others that have impacted our lives. But the choices we make define where we find ourselves and it is only our choices that can move us.
In Benedictine humility, our moments and movements in life are guided by a union with God’s essence. His essence, and ultimate nature, define the challenges and guide our choices that determine the direction of our journey.
We begin on the first step of the ladder of humility “to keep the fear of God always before our eyes.” (RB 7:10). This “fear of God,” an image of God’s essentialness, becomes a candle lighting a world gone dark by a lack of hope, faith and understanding. Then ascending the ladder; by obedience to our creator; purity and openness of heart; a silent, compassionate and understanding heart listening to and for the voices of others; we find ourselves face to face with “that perfect love of God which casts out fear” (RB 7:67).
A picture of good habits, good choices and virtues is painted by the artist in his image; capturing his true nature. That transports the viewer into the “perfect love of God,” offering comfort, compassion, understanding and love inseparable as the sun and its light, the ocean and the wave, the singer and the song.
