Tuesday, March 4, 2008

The Young and the Restless

Do we not know how confused and weak people are, how everday matters endlessly distract us and fill our thoughts and emotions? It's funny to think that we allow these same matters, silly trifles that we won't even remember the day after tomorrow, to fill our short lives which, you would think, we would treasure above all else. All this cuts us off from our Lord, shutting us off from heaven and choking off prayer, like smoke from a funnel rising and obscuring the light from the sun. And what is smoke? It is made up of tiny black particles. In just the same way, our sins and restlessness (italics mine) rise and obscure everything like smoke -- so that our life ceases to be Christian and becomes vain and pointless.

Father Alexander Men

Isn't this just so true? I think Father Men really hits the nail on the head with this little meditation (Magnificat 3-4-08). Sin obviously obscures our "connection" with heaven, but so too does restlessness. As much as we are to be forward-looking as Christians, we are also supposed to bring in the kingdom of heaven, now. Augustine understood this well when he said that 'Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee'. I found the following entry on restlessness quite interesting (Webster). How often I am guilty of these various forms of restlessness! Even my resting is sometimes restless. So we pray, "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." (Psalm 23)

Restlessness (n.)

1. The quality of being ceaselessly moving or active; "the restlessness of the wind".
2. A lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay.
3. A feeling of agitation expressed in continual motion; "he's got the fidgets"; "waiting gave him a feeling of restlessness".
4. Inability to rest or relax or be still.

1 comment:

  1. Convicting. It was just how I felt yesterday---impatient, agitated, restless---and unable to be thankful and content. The black particles in the smoke was an apt description. I had better shape up today---by the grace of God!

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