The Biggest Mistakes You Will Ever Make

I am facing, this grey December morning, that fallibility inherent in every human being. I am facing regret, longing, sadness and self loathing.

University is a new time. It is hard and stressful as well as liberating and exciting. You get to be out on your own to face the world around you head on. At the end of the day you get to face yourself around every corner. In classes and homework you challenge yourself to understand and succeed with good marks. Outside the buildings you challenge yourself to make new friendships that are healthier and stronger than old ones. You look to be a better person. But in the end, most of us have just are only wrapped up in ourselves. Most of us will say that we have enough stress, enough work, enough emotion, enough illness already. We close the door to the world and live inside. We have forgot the earth and all that she teaches us. This is our greatest mistake.

The earth teaches love. We know how to love each other by studying the relationships of animals. They are pure and concrete. They are examples with few exceptions. They love without question. They are faithful to their nature. They are faithful, loyal and healthy. All roles are filled equally.

An animal with a broken leg is the first to be eaten. So as human beings should we learn to heal our wounds quickly. We cannot cling to what makes us weak. We cannot play the victim and expect to ride the coattails of the pack.

I say this now in my grey December knowing that words hold little bearing. The potency of them comes only from our capacity to imagine the scenes that they depict. I am struggling. But I know that I am not alone in this. We are all struggling and so few of us are willing to rise up against it.

It is the advent season and hope is on its way. Christ is coming, but we know the teachings already. We are playing to well the part of the depicted prechristian people; living without guidance or moral coding. We know how the story ends but we have forgotten. How many of us live lives of compassion, grace, kindness, love and forgiveness? How many of us are bitter, cold and mistrusting? What is the extent of our infidelities to ourselves? How do we profess to live in a world that God created and still contribute to the unbalancing of the universe?


And above all else I ask myself what I think crosses the mind of all people at one time or another...

are all of these things that I hate in the world only the things that I hate in myself? Am I alone at fault for the hurt in my world?

Sam

Take up your cross. For those who want to save their lives will lose it and those who would lose their life for my sake and the sake of the gospel will save it.