We are urged to manage stress these days as a safeguard for our own mental health and wellbeing. It is ironic that so many of us are greatly stressed at a time when the standard of living and longevity are at such peaks. The industrial and technological revolutions raised expectations and now we have AI to push the limits even further on what it means to be human.
There are points in life when all of us face giants – fears, phobias and phantoms of the night or day. Most do not have a physical form but seem bigger and more horrible in the night. Others face bullies at school, at work, in the neighbourhood or even in families where you are supposed […]
A sloth chooses to live in remote seclusion within the tropical rainforests of South America. Everything about a sloth is slow and deliberate. It is such a loner that it seldom interacts even with fellow sloths. Not perhaps quite as dead to the world as when you see a dog sound asleep on its back but, by any definition, a sloth is about as withdrawn as they come. When you consider the way some Christian groups have chosen to withdraw from society throughout history, you might think there are some parallels. Some monastic orders have withdrawn completely and other individual ascetics lived as hermits in caves – whether this was an attempt to please God or to keep themselves from temptation is unclear. Other monasteries make a point of interacting with society and might be said to be ‘in the world but not of the world’. Then there are Amish communities seeking to be self-sustainable; they are hard-working people but choose to live very differently to the rest of society as they eschew modern transport and technology. So many different approaches – that of the chameleon who blends in, the sloth who withdraws or the rhino who charges … what’s your understanding of how Jesus calls you to live?
What does it take to be a resolute person and is that necessarily a good thing? It sometimes manifests itself as stubbornness which can be a weakness that many of us are prone to. Would you describe yourself as a determined person or just plain stubborn?! This famous natural arch has been withstanding the strongest waves for many years giving a great example of resolution and yet the time will no doubt come when it will cave in to the sorrow of many who have swum through it. Whilst Durdle Door remains standing, sadly the Azure Window rock arch which was even larger collapsed in recent years. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat described this event as ’heart-breaking’. It is sad indeed when someone’s resolution is broken – the stronger and longer-standing the resolution, the greater the sorrow with a subsequent collapse.
What do you see in the picture? People perceive, analyse and imagine in different ways but for this challenge there is only one right answer. Enlightenment will come as you read on! The very word ‘enlightenment’ can be taken in three ways – simply, it could be the process where someone is given greater knowledge and understanding about a subject or situation. It can also refer to a spiritual opening of the eyes or to a European movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries. More of that to come but first, how much of life is shaped by conspiracy theories, shadowy speculations and secret societies, some of which were created during the ‘Age of Enlightenment’? There are those who claim to have special knowledge which can lead to cults being formed, rituals being practiced and controlling power being wielded. Human beings are drawn to these darker things.
