The comedienne Lily Tomlin once said, “The trouble with the rat-race is that even if you win the race, you're still a rat.” Having spent a number of years in the maze, I always felted called to something more than just life in the maze, running here and there, exhausted and confused living each day chasing the promise of the next tiny bit of cheese. It was then, and only then, that I saw the maze for what it was, pointless and empty or as Solomon would say, ‘a chasing after the wind’. So I began to look for signs and stories of what makes life meaningful.A hundred years ago, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote about the three essential qualities he considered to be the marks of true “success”:(1) the ability to discern and appreciate beauty,(2) the ability to see the best in others, and(3) a commitment to leaving the world a better place.Notice that Emerson does not say that success is measured by who occupy the best seat at the banquet table, possesses more toys than everyone else, or even belonging to the best social clubs. Emerson contends that success comes with appreciating God's world as it has been given, developing loving relationships with God's people as they are, and by working to improve God's world by engage all the creative power of heart and hands. I think Jesus would agree heartily.Jesus’ message in the Gospel is an invitation for those dissatisfied with the endless scurry in the maze of self-interest. Instead Jesus spoke of finding the sublime beauty in people despite their brokenness, learning to love by becoming vulnerable and yet hopeful, and in rising above the maze of “me-land” and helping others to do the same.“You have within you,” Jesus said, “a spirit of greatness, nobility and courage given to you by my Father. It was a spark of life give to you at your birth but it has become marred by the false promises of quick rewards. It is still there, like a seed waiting to burst forth. Together we can restore what is broken and create a whole new life. Are you ready?” (my paraphrase of John 10)As a faith community we can live beyond the ordinary and find the extraordinary life Jesus promised. Think about these three characteristics and how they impact your life and your daily routine.Gratitude – see the beauty of God’s world, God’s people and God’s purposes everywhere.Grace – learn to love people not just for who they are but for who they could become.Giving – recognize and offer the creativity and passion of your own head, heart and hands.
The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve, for they will have tapped into the endless riches of their own soul.
…never doubt and know to be true that the thoughts you discern and then “the words of your mouth” that you choose to express those “meditations of your heart” are, in compliance with Emerson’s third mark of true success, “leaving the world a better place” for those who are blessed to read the words you write and to hear the words you speak.
…never doubt and know to be true that the thoughts you discern and then “the words of your mouth” that you choose to express those “meditations of your heart” are, in compliance with Emerson’s third mark of true success, “leaving the world a better place” for those who are blessed to read the words you write and to hear the words you speak.