To Move and Be Moved

September 7, 2005

My sister told me that bosses like it when you are already working and then you ask them, "Do you have anything specific you'd like me to do? Otherwise, I will keep working on this." Rather than coming to them and saying, "I'm sitting still until you say what you want me to do."

Tim Hansel strained his powers of articulation and said "we must have graceful discipline, and disciplined grace."
I think he meant something like: Grace is responding smoothly and willingly with the things happening in our vicinity that we cannot change; and discipline is acting as a first cause and making things in our vicinity a certain way by our choices and efforts.

Again, the Serenity prayer runs:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

If you want to be a gardener, You have to listen to the plants,
but speak to the tools,
to make the one grow, the other come into being.
Persuade the one, force the other.

To move and be moved,
in the right way,
at the right time, ah.

To move and be moved,
this is the secret of humour,
of dancing, salsa or swing or whatever,
of marriage,
of being a good therapist,
being a good teacher,
being a good parent,
I could go on.
And I shall.
It is the secret of
of gardening,
Of being a good friend,
of keeping a dog,
of being a Christian
of being an employee...
What else is there to accomplish? Nothing.
Then better say: It is the secret.

What is between the things I can change and the things I can't? Wisdom. Sophia. The logos of God. Where can it be found? If you seek, then you will find. It calls out from the street corners. But why can't I hear it?

Now that's a good question.


Glory to God alone