Thomas Traherne ends this excerpt by riveting back to a time when he was a child. He brings us into his perspective on how he viewed the world the first time, and could not see fault. How can you see fault, when there is nothing to compare with? The world was all his, and he viewed everything as spotless, pure, and glorious. He didn't know of sins, complaints, laws, vices, guilt, tears, or quarrels; instead, all he saw was joyful and precious. How sweet it must be to see something for the first time, untainted, unblemished, and seemingly pure to the beholder. Is this how God views us?
Perhaps when he views us, he sees us as we are: perfect. He made us this way, in our proper place, and our specific image, and we work best in this image of ourselves. I wonder if we will every learn to desire objects, and people so perfectly, that we can't desire them any other way.
I'd like to believe that this is what marriage will look like.
But yet again, it seems to be unrealistic.
Wednesday, April 1
Guilty of Polytheism
Abu Sa'id Ibn AbiL-Khayr.
What a mouthful.
This guy most likely believes in predestination. Which is cool, if that's what you want to believe.
He seems to think that everything is through God. Whether it be actions, thoughts, discoveries, realizations...
Basically, to sum it up, we are helpless. And when we can behold our helplessness is when we will have our desires fall away from us, and we will be free and calm. This is when we will desire what God desires.
I don't know if I buy all of this. I doubt that man will ever desire only what God desires. Isn't there the eternal struggle between the flesh and the spirit? Characteristically, as humans, we seem to be programmed towards our own desires. And though we say that we desire what God desires, I don't know if there is ever complete truth in this. And how can we ever know every one of God's desires?
I liked how he told us that if we wished to draw near to God, then we must seek him in the hearts of men. Hopefully each person contains some sort of holiness within their hearts.
What a mouthful.
This guy most likely believes in predestination. Which is cool, if that's what you want to believe.
He seems to think that everything is through God. Whether it be actions, thoughts, discoveries, realizations...
Basically, to sum it up, we are helpless. And when we can behold our helplessness is when we will have our desires fall away from us, and we will be free and calm. This is when we will desire what God desires.
I don't know if I buy all of this. I doubt that man will ever desire only what God desires. Isn't there the eternal struggle between the flesh and the spirit? Characteristically, as humans, we seem to be programmed towards our own desires. And though we say that we desire what God desires, I don't know if there is ever complete truth in this. And how can we ever know every one of God's desires?
I liked how he told us that if we wished to draw near to God, then we must seek him in the hearts of men. Hopefully each person contains some sort of holiness within their hearts.
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