Rev. Richard Smith
Galatians 5:22-25 (Words of Paul)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit.
I recently came across the insights of Lori Deschne. She’s a facilitator of self-help resources, including a blog title, “Tiny Buddha”. She’s also the author of Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom For Life’s Hard Questions. I found the reflections I read to be enlightening. One of her insights is on “practicing the pause”. She writes: Practice the pause. Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you’re about to act harshly and you’ll avoid doing and saying things you’ll later regret.
Now that is good stuff! In fact, I’ve sought to put these words into practice. I paused before getting frustrated at traffic issues and people’s driving habits. I paused before getting upset at the lackadaisical worker at a fast food restaurant. I paused before allowing anger to build up at some of the inane comments in our social and political arena. I paused before letting people push my emotional button. Etc. Etc. Etc.
While Jesus is the central vessel through which God’s truths come, we wise Christians give thanks for life enriching insights which come beyond our own personal faith. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Acts 17:28, For in the eternal God we live and move and have our being…We all are his offspring. In other words, God speaks through varied world religions, through varied religious experiences, and through distinct faith practices.
So, here is one Christian who gives thanks for a modern Buddhist whose perceptions on pausing before acting or speaking provide abundant wisdom for daily living.
My guess is that each of us will find our lives enriched if we practice the pause. Just think of the plethora of occasions when pausing will and can truly make a difference. It serves to strengthen relationships. It serves to keep our emotions in healthy check. It serves to facilitate speaking before acting. It serves to provide space for deeper reflection. It serves to temper our reactions.
In essence, we seek to live by the Spirit and allow patience, goodness, kindness and self-control to be our daily mantras!
