Month: September 2018

A prayer I learned about many years ago is called “the Jesus Prayer.” It’s just a few words: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I’ve read that it is likely the Jesus Prayer originated from the fifth century monastic traditions of the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers in Egypt. There are variations, including “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” and “Lord Jesus, have mercy.” Or simply “Jesus Mercy.” From time to time throughout the day, I’ll silently pray the Jesus Prayer.

It’s important that we remember our need for mercy. It matters very much that we try every day to follow what we discern to be direction from our inner voice. But no matter how well we do in those efforts, we always need the Creator’s help and mercy. None of us is perfect and, despite our efforts, we will make mistakes sometimes. And when we do succeed in living honestly and ethically, it is because the Creator makes that possible.

Another time I pray the Jesus prayer is when I do a relaxation breathing technique. When I’m feeling stress, I slowly inhale, expanding my abdomen, and then slowly exhale, contracting my abdomen, saying “Jesus” as I breathe in and “Mercy” as I breathe out, doing this three or four times. The breathing has a calming effect, and saying the Jesus Prayer adds to the calm I experience.

I recently read this quote by Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” What a perfect definition.

Having faith helps us to live according to what seems morally right to us. Living in this way can be challenging, especially when other people are unaccepting and even critical of choices we make. That can be especially hurtful when those people are people we care about, such as family members and friends. It takes courage to live according to our values and to resist societal pressure to conform rather than to be the unique person we were created to be. Dr. King was certainly an example of someone who lived courageously and who embraced his calling.

Faith is a gift from the Creator and therefore it is not something we can cause to happen. However, I believe we can and we need to “prepare the soil” to be more ready to receive the gift of faith. Some of the ways we can do this are by trying our best to do what seems morally right, to be nonjudgmental and treat others with respect, to be thankful for our blessings, and to devote time to prayer. In these and other ways, we can be more ready to take the next steps along our individual paths.

“Egocentricity is like a hard shell around the ego, shutting the ego in, shutting other people out, and preventing the energy of the Self from coming through.” This is a quotation from one of John Sanford’s books, The Strange Trial of Mr. Hyde. Sanford, a Jungian analyst and author, had a gift for presenting Jungian ideas in clear, understandable language, and I have learned a great deal from reading his books and listening to his recorded presentations.

Egocentricity is that tendency to think only of oneself and to ignore the feelings and needs of others. When Sanford says egocentricity “shuts the ego in,” I think of limitations and rigidity, no access to new ideas, and no personal growth. Shutting other people out also results in limitations; there is no sharing of experiences and insights that can result from interacting with others. There is no assisting others either, a further sign of a deficient approach to life.

Most importantly, being egocentric cuts us off from the Self. The Self is the larger reality that includes both the ego and the unconscious; it provides energy, strength, and direction to the ego. In the same book I referred to above, Sanford writes: “Without a relationship with the Self, the ego is devoid of vital energy, creativity, and a sense of meaning in life.” Clearly, we need to be in relationship with the Self to change and grow and do those things we were created to do.

No one is without some egocentricity. It’s the degree we need to watch for in ourselves and do our best to break through that hard shell that is so limiting. This is another reason to pay attention to our dreams, synchronicities, and intuition because the Self communicates to us through them. By these means, the Self helps us to see when we are being egocentric and helps us to get back on our path.

“As one grows to understand life less and less, one learns to live it more and more.” This quotation was in a fortune cookie that came with my meal at a restaurant. The quotation resonated with me immediately. I am in my 60s so I’ve been on this earth quite a while. And although I have learned a great deal over the years and understand many things, there are certainly things I don’t understand and some that I never will. I have needed to learn to live with mystery.

I find it hard to understand cruelty. There are psychological theories about why people commit cruel acts, but I still find it hard to understand. I also don’t understand why some children are born with disabilities or become seriously ill and die, that they and the people who love them have to suffer in this way. There are many occurrences such as these that I don’t understand. There are also beautiful aspects of life I don’t understand, such as the presence of faith. But I’m thankful I have the gift of faith that helps me in many ways, including helping me to better accept mystery.

Because the quotation in the fortune cookie didn’t include an author’s name, I did an internet search because I wanted to acknowledge who the author is if I was able to find that out. My search didn’t lead me to the exact quotation; instead it led to a very similar one. Jules Renard, a French author and dramatist who lived from 1864 to 1910, said this: “As I grow to understand life less and less, I grow to love it more and more.”

This is also a meaningful quotation. But to me the difference between “living life” and “loving life” is significant. Because I believe the Creator created each of us as unique individuals with a plan for how we should live our lives, I believe I must try to follow the Creator’s direction for me whether I love life or not. I love certain aspects of life very much and I’m thankful for my many blessings, including being thankful for the people I love and who love me. But there are parts of life I do not love, such as those I mentioned above. I’ve found that trying to do what seems right for me makes living meaningful–trying to follow my path and doing the actions that involves. And through those endeavors, I do live life more and more.