11/19/02
Liberating Knowledge
I’ve been reading St. Augustine’s Confessions for Origins of Western Values. It’s a slow read, and almost annoyingly sugary at times. After reading 10 pages, I began to open my mental mouth with the intention of cursing this requirement that I found utterly pointless – and paused. It wasn’t right. I thought and stalked myself and came to a realization. I began to see that underneath all of the religious double-speak, behind all of the eloquent nothings, there is still that spiritual wisdom that can be found in all things that come from the heart, regardless of the medium. Although I much prefer Grandfather’s way of saying them, it is not for me to criticize the form in which my teachers appear. So I am grateful for the opportunity to learn these lessons once again, and have since read St. Augustine's words with greater care. -
After coming to these spiritually liberating conclusions (it's amazing how light one feels when one releases oneself from the burden of judging others), the anguish of a song we're singing in choir struck me for the first time. The words are, "Dum dicitur mihi quo tidie, 'Ubi est deus tuus?'"; "And those who hate me say unceasingly, 'Where is the God of whom you spoke?'" I realized how it must have tormented the priest, in his moments of doubt and darkness, to hear non-believers taunting him. I felt pity for the man, perhaps moreso because I have been one of the people taunting. - The following words of Longfellow come to mind: "If we could read the secret history of our enemies we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility." Although I follow my own spiritual path, still in the making and still different from those commonly followed in my culture, I will work to grow into a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, the paths of others - no matter what their outward appearance.
Shuna
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