Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Inception

I read this article in our diocesan newspaper last week, written by Theresa Montminy. I thought it was good. It made me remember that God is not only the "owner of all", but also the author of all things as well... gifts, talents, abilities, imaginations, even all ideas. Nothing is ever "original" that originates in us. This is what is meant when it is often said that we, "think God's thoughts after him." Nothing is really "ours" except our own free will... God gives us perfect freedom to choose what we do with the things He gives:

"We’re often not conscious of the statements we make, but they are more numerous than we think. We aren’t aware of them because most are not verbal. They are revelations of the heart, spoken by our choices.

Consider, for example, what we are saying when we have no money for God’s ministry but enough to pay the cable bill. Or when we see the starving and wish we could help . . . and then waste money on soft drinks with no nutritional value. Why does $30 a month to save a child seem like so much, and thirty dollars for a steak dinner for two seem like such a bargain? What do our choices say to God? Not much?!? They say more about our values. They reveal what’s in our heart.
God is no enemy of entertainment and taste buds. But He is an enemy of idols, and our choices reveal what they are. It’s amazing how much we can’t afford to do for God’s Kingdom (the budget is always tight, right?); meanwhile, the vacations we really want to take are usually taken; the meals we really want to eat are usually eaten; the make and model of the vehicle we want to drive is usually in our driveway. We more comfortably delay God’s gratification than our own. Do we truly find joy in satisfying ourselves with the material goods of our world? Or, do we deceive ourselves in the process and become depressed and angry for the choices we have made. Making peace in our world requires us to make choices that demonstrate our love for God.
We need to snap out of our unconsciousness. Many of our idols have become automatic to us. We don’t see them as intentional choices that reveal the treasures of our heart. But deep down we know: If we love God with all of our being, if we treasure His Kingdom above all else, He would see more of our treasure given for His use.
Why is this so important? Does God have insufficient funds? Probably not. The Owner of all isn’t short of cash when He really wants to accomplish something. He wants more than cash. He wants us to value faith, the currency of His Kingdom, over the currency of the world. More than that, He wants us. He wants our choices to reflect an intense, unbridled love. He wants our choices to honor Him.
As we journey together let us remember that we are placed here to help one another as we move toward our eternal reward."- Inland Catholic Byte
I saw a great movie yesterday! I'm not really a big sci-fi fan, but I thought this movie was really imaginative. I thought about what would make such people think of such things... I thought of Inception!

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