Charles Williams said that in the end, all loves must be physical. Screwtape was content if the patient's love was limited to fantasy--it didn't matter how glorious love was if it never made any difference. I find that my reaction to hearing of someone's illness is to pray for them briefly, think about whether there's anything that should be done, and then move on to other things--but Jesus didn't say "I was sick and you thought about me."
There is something important about investing not just my attention but my body in my works. A text or email message is good, a phone call has more presence, but being there in person means I'm putting my whole self in service to meeting you. (Assuming my mind isn't elsewhere--I remember my school days...) A Facebook "friend" may be the best connection possible between people too far apart, but it is a flimsy wraith compared to flesh and blood conversation. Face to face it isn't just my spirit that is with you, but all of me.
Maybe texting and Twitter are two of the nine rings: they give the illusion of stretching your life to more and more people, but at the price of stretching you thinner and thinner.
(*)Thinking of math is good, but putting pencil to paper to develop it is better.
4 comments:
Jesus talks about thought and behavior, but I think it is mainly from the negative side, of sinful thought being equal to sinful behavior. He was speaking in the specific context of whether we humans were keeping the law or falling generally short; he did often speak in hyperbole. Nonetheless, he said what he said, and sinful thoughts seem to be regarded with seriousness.
Yet..."A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45. So Jesus makes a connection.
My own experience is that there is indeed something too self-centered about regarding one's thoughts as all that important. The cold need blankets, not warm thoughts. The world is not contained in our heads, but our heads are a part of the world. Perhaps not such a major part, either.
... like butter over too much bread?
We're not hobbits, so it probably happens faster.
Let's not forget the words of James:
"If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[b] is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
That book is full of that kind of talk.
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