Greetings Dear Reader,
I am amazed at how easily we use the label of Narcissism on others. I know a true narcissist and she does not fit
the pattern of the common label we see in our social feeds. It is easier I think to affix this label than
to see that at some level we all avoid the more common truth that we are all
selfish and self-absorbed at times.
Except through discipline of the mind and heart, we all forget
that the world is not about us. We are
not our own. We are created to enjoy the
Father who loves us but we consistently make the world about our needs, wants,
and pleasure. We do not consider that we
are developing a neo-narcissism wherein we blame everyone else, including God
for our woes. We do not take responsibility
for our failures and foibles.
We are all crooked sticks.
We lock people into blame and shame for their past not realizing that
there is nothing they can say that will transcend our choice to refuse forgiveness
and real reconciliation. We have even
created a middle ground where we think we have forgiven but do not have to
reconcile or restore. We are so steeped
in our own past that we refuse to unashamedly, unabashedly, and unconditionally
love everyone.
The things that have hurt us and the sins of others become
the substance with which we create barriers.
They become our excuses for not working to actively intentionally show
love to others. We post cryptic messages
about the faults of others and say we have forgiven in the same breath. We explain all the reasons for not actively loving
someone based on the past or what might happen in the future. We use that which is gone and that which we
imagine to withhold love in the present.
This is the ultimate in making things about us. We refuse to trust the Father by obeying his
most basic commands. We make it about us
without thought that the Father will be with us, that the Spirit will guide us,
that the Son is working it all out for our benefit. Our neo-narcissism is that we put our fears
of what might happen above our hope in what can happen if we put love first in
all things.
We do not get to know why the Father wants it this way. I must do it no matter what I feel, fear, or fanaticize. I must lead with love and not demand to know
why it is that way. I do not need to
understand love for it to work. I do need
to realize that every natural thing will clamor for me to blame others and
neglect my own failure to love. My
nature will scream that it is the other person and not me. The journey is easiest when we follow Christ
in love and refuse to be offended even when we do not understand the why of
things. You and I, Dear Reader, can
build a better journey if we do that together.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every
writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a
homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure
store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Every human story is part of the great story that leads
to the Father getting everything back to Good.
Contacts for Aramis
Thorn:
#aramisthorn
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
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