The bard himself, William Shakespeare, said `to be or not to be that is the question.` He went on about if it is better to suffer whilst striving after a goal, than not to bother. Well history only records those that succeed and those that fail spectacularly. I wont tell you that fame or infamy aren't important, but what I will say that if a persons goal is one or the other, then they will find it difficult to live a life true to their self.
Self, yep is there one. There is one self and we are all part of it. Was it Shakespeare or some other thinker that said, `no man is an island` in other words none of us can live alone in the universe for long. I'm not talking about a hermit on a deserted island with fruit to eat etc, but as a viable long term strategy for hundreds of thousands, or millions of people. That's why we have such a complicated world for us Human beings. How many people have you heard say, I live my life the way I want to? Yet most just conform to the majority view and do whats generally expected from them. Some people have to pray a certain number of times a day facing towards Mecca. This could be a problem If you are on the space station! Others can only eat fish on Fridays. ( I sometimes forget to do a fish on Friday blog, yet no bolt of lightening has struck me down. Sometimes religions rules get in the way of living a good life. Strict Jayne's wear face masks so they don't accidentally breath in and kill minute insects. Are they allowed to travel on jet planes, which have been known to suck in and obliterate birds? Jayne`s that is not face masks. I know face masks are allowed to travel on planes as I wore one during the Sars scare on returning from the Philippines. As a child we may not understand much about the world, but it is good not to be responsible for creating genocide, famines and war. Now after years of paying tax on my little works pension, the department of works has said my income is not enough to pay tax on. Great, I am so glad now I can truly say I don't contribute financially in supporting armed forces. Thats not to say I wont now plan a regular gift to the `Salvation Army` ( those who haven't heard of them, look up William Booth on you tube. In fact look up `William Booth Speaks`) They are an army doing good works. They do not have a swastika, hammer and sickle for a symbol. The cross does though feature with the words, `Blood and Fire`. The late Cardinal Basil Hume when told he was dying of cancer, reacted by going to the hospital chapel to spend time in prayer before the crucifix. He had a great devotion to the last words of Jesus and he was, in a sense, makingJesus` prayer his owm, (as can we) `Into your hands I commend my spirit`. Out of the depths of despair and suffering, he was searching for hope. And he found it in the crucifix (Christ fixed) Three days later, in a letter to the priests of his diocese, he revealed that the cancer was not `in the early stages`, but he added: `I have received two wonderful graces. First, I have been given time to prepare for a new future. Secondly, I find myself - uncharacteristically - calm and at peace`.
Cardinal Hume left several moving reflections on the Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross. Within them, he once said, there is `a message of hope, an Easter gift which gives meaning to Good Friday`s agony`. If its meant to be, then I shall share some of them with you over the next few days.
May this be a good week for us. Blessings and peace be upon you, your brother Peter.
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