Monday Lenten Meditation
...courtesy of Paulo Coelho's Warrior of the Light (HarperCollins, 2003).
"A Warrior of the Light always keeps his heart free of any feelings of hatred.
When he goes into battle, he remembers what Christ said: 'Love your enemies.' And he obeys.
But he knows that the act of forgiveness does not mean that he must accept everything; a Warrior cannot bow his head, for if he did he would lose sight of the horizon of his dreams.
He accepts that his opponents are there to test his valor, his persistence, and his ability to make decisions. They force him to fight for his dreams.
It is the experience of battle that strengthens the Warrior of the Light."
--Paulo Coelho, The Warrior of the Light, a companion to The Alchemist.
It is an incredible comfort to know God never allows a "too great" opponent into my experience. When I am approached by what I consider to be that "too great" opponent, that approach is God's invitation to me to see more and see further, become more, shed dead skin, imagine new options, love more deeply, and abandon past pain. That approach is God's beckoning to me: "Who and what could you be if you forgot any pain and weakness in your past? Are you willing to know?"
If I feel destroyed by my opponent, it is because I have refused the challenge. All battles are moderated; God is in control of the contest. Is God in control of me?
"A Warrior of the Light always keeps his heart free of any feelings of hatred.
When he goes into battle, he remembers what Christ said: 'Love your enemies.' And he obeys.
But he knows that the act of forgiveness does not mean that he must accept everything; a Warrior cannot bow his head, for if he did he would lose sight of the horizon of his dreams.
He accepts that his opponents are there to test his valor, his persistence, and his ability to make decisions. They force him to fight for his dreams.
It is the experience of battle that strengthens the Warrior of the Light."
--Paulo Coelho, The Warrior of the Light, a companion to The Alchemist.
It is an incredible comfort to know God never allows a "too great" opponent into my experience. When I am approached by what I consider to be that "too great" opponent, that approach is God's invitation to me to see more and see further, become more, shed dead skin, imagine new options, love more deeply, and abandon past pain. That approach is God's beckoning to me: "Who and what could you be if you forgot any pain and weakness in your past? Are you willing to know?"
If I feel destroyed by my opponent, it is because I have refused the challenge. All battles are moderated; God is in control of the contest. Is God in control of me?
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