Relative to 1 Corinthians 10 [see previous post], St. Paul (nor this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit) is not espousing other than that we realize that those of the world--natural men--who do not accept nor grasp the Spirit of God do not perceive, understand, or exist as those who have received the Spirit from God.
In some instances, yes, we spiritual persons may rightly judge in our sifting and sorting process that it is best to distance ourselves or remove ourselves physically or mentally or emotionally from those who are "natural" persons--of the world and not of the Spirit.
This process of sifting and sorting and coming to a decision based upon spiritual judgment may take time in the assessing. Or, it may come quite quickly--knowing to "take back our peace" proffered another, shake the dust from our sandals, and move on to the next "place."
In personal example, I have a friend who is a "natural person." She is not a Christian and is not interested in the spiritual, particularly. But she tolerates me and is respectful; she strives to keep the friendship as do I. I respect her wisdom of the world, and she has appreciated in some instances the spiritual gifts that the Lord has allowed through me as vehicle, in practical ways but yet beneficial for this friend--and they came through spiritual phenomenon.
I hold no delusions that we would have spiritual discussion other than I can explain some spiritual event without doubt or disdain on the part of this friend. And, the friend can discuss with me matters and experiences very much of the "world" without my judging in the way of demeaning judging nor offense at the friend's life style or world point of view.
There is no need, nor would I under these beneficent terms for decades, cease interactions. In fact, I appreciate and honor the perspective this friend has from and in the world. I do not discuss that which the friend would not understand beyond what is verified by the friend's witnessing or being the recipient of a spiritual good. The key, of course, is that I offer my peace, and my peace is returned--even though the other does not understand nor seeks to understand matters of the Spirit.
The disposition of natural to spiritual is always a potential, of course. But I do not proselytize nor place expectations of the other, dependent upon interactions and friendship. Prayer is the process of those spiritual who have the mind of Christ--prayer and charity. And charity is the process of many natural persons of the world.
Yet there are those of the world--the natural persons--whose rejection of the Spirit or even the inability for them to appreciate, desire, or be open to receiving the Spirit from God keeps them from being good for the "spiritual" to interact with in tangible ways. Or, at least the interactions need to be relegated to business encounters or other relegated interactions that can pass the sift and sort process by virtue of some necessity.
Of those "natural" persons of the world who we spiritual persons must judge in a sift-and-sort manner, with charity but requiring we take back our peace and move on--we must be firm and not waver.
Ironically, the hermitage guest of Sunday before last, has continued to make email contact with increasing put-down of this hermit. There is a double-sided twist to the words written, and there is evidence of the guest trying to subjugate the hermit's personhood and level some superior-leaning "put-downs." I responded kindly, briefly, to three emails--being firm that I was not on the same pathway as the guest, not spiritually nor with life choices.
I thought the guest had finally accepted that I had sifted, sorted, and moved on. I was not interested in the guest's insistent viewpoints of the world, nor of the worldly means by which the guest had become attached.
But then again, I received a message, offering assistance with whatever tasks I might need help with. I had mentioned this guest and the forewarning dream to my "natural" friend in an email, and the friend had responded with agreement and also with some humor. Yet my friend so wants me to make physical progress with the hermitage renovations (and oh, so do I!) that the friend emailed I should let the guest come and help with a task I had to overcome an obstacle that could have used help. What would it hurt?
Ah, no! The one-time guest is sifted and sorted, wisely so, from the mind of Christ of which I am in and His mind in me. I explained to my friend that the good man at the lumberyard phone-guided me with a means to complete the task (cellar door threshold) without needing the use of a hammer drill again.... Already, too much time, energy, and negativity transpired with the ensuing contacts from the guest. I am not responding to the recent contact, for there can be too much time in sifting and sorting beyond what is necessary or best.
However, I will pray for the guest and those who are deceived by drug use as well as those who reject the Spirit from God. Perhaps the person is comfortable with the term "spirit" but rejects "God." And, when someone is entrenched in a world affected by hallucinogens without desiring to leave that world, there is not going to be understanding nor acceptance of the spiritual of God, of Christ, of the Spirit.
I did remind my kind friend of the natural world that I'd had a warning dream prior to building my prior hermitage--and I'd not heeded it. This time, I heed; and I sifted, sorted and judged with the mind of Christ given by the Spirit from God. Prayer for conversion of however God wills for the natural person of the world will be the only contact at this phase with the guest of Sunday before last....
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