Avert Thine Eyes
Roby slept on me and Abby went to run errands. She had limited success with the errands, but Roby had excellent success with her nap. During her errands Abby ran into someone we know, or perhaps we used to know. Of all the people I know they are perhaps in the most dire of unfortunate circumstances, and entirely of their own making, and perhaps in a way that they are unaware of.
It’s not as though they’re addicted to anything, or committing crimes, but they are doing things that harm themselves and the ones they love, or ought to love. Perhaps if they are addicted to anything, it’s their ego, their sense of self, their sense of what they deserve and the level of pleasure they are entitled to.
This is a self inflicted wound of which I am constantly at risk.
I don’t know, I’m judging this person, and that’s not for me to do.
We haven’t seen them since they started on this path that is clearly bad.
Had we no knowledge of it we might have been friendly with a run in after so much time.
But we know, and they know we know, and so it is awkward and Abby and them did not speak or acknowledge one another. But they did make eye contact.
They must know to some extent that what they are doing is not good, right? Otherwise they would not turn their face in shame.
That has been the most fascinating thing about this pursuit of a Christian life.
The Church and the Gospel provide tools and knowledge, but the real bedrock of a life well lived exists inside of us. When we take action we know in our stomachs and in our heads wether what we are doing is right, we know instantaneously. It is only through often lengthy internal monologue that we can convince ourselves to do something that is bad for us, which is to say, not in His image.
You’d think that would mean it takes effort to wound ourselves and others,
Alas no.
Bozo
Bozo