But my only caution is the difficult task of “grit” turning into “striving”. There is a sense where when we “gut it out”, all we are really doing is depending on our own efforts. It’s hard to make that work long term. Even Jesus said “I can do nothing on my own”. Maybe “grit” should be a “fruit of the spirit”. Right between “Faithfulness” and “Self-Control”. 😊
"And the Boomers were flower children." What an oversimplification: we had to deal with Bomb drills, the Draft, Civil Rights and over 2.7 million of us served in Vietnam. There was a lot of grit, and the majority of us never followed the sex, drugs, and rock and roll stereotype. The roots of progressive Christianity started with us challenging the poverty of most of our denominations.
Hm... that word grit is a good one and I am going to think more about what it really means. Are we talking about that ol' fashioned individualism that will work hard, pulling at the boot straps? I might talk about it in terms of never giving up, keepin' on even in hard times. But maybe the grit that Jesus talked about, the one that it takes to get through the eye of the needle, is the grit that it takes to not be self-centered, to be other-oriented, to care about the common good and be willing in our actions to express this in the face of this capitalist system that will sell us that spirituality means self-care, often with something to purchase. What is Christian grit?
I'm at the tail end of the Baby Boomers who maybe started out as innocent flower children but then blossomed into the debauchery of "sex, drugs, and rock & roll" for our life ethos. No grit there, spiritual or otherwise. Our parents' generation had all kinds of grit, however. They endured the Great Depression and won the Second World War, but then they coddled and spoiled their kids and gave them the things that they never had themselves while growing up. And the succeeding generations of our children and grandchildren now have things harder than ever in some ways that we never had to suffer, things like social isolation and addictions to electronic gadgetry and broken families and the prospects of nuclear holocaust hanging over their heads the likes of which we never had even at the height of the old Cold War.
I've been a "born-again" believer in Jesus Christ for some forty-six years now, and I keep flunking one test after another that our Father gives me. Just last night, I become increasingly frantic because I couldn't find my work ID badge and prox card that lets me in the building. And with some really important things that I need to do early this morning, I prayed at first, and then I cussed, which I know my wife hates hearing, and then I prayed some more, and then I kept looking everywhere I could think of, and eventually I cried out loud to the God I know is there, "Is THIS a test, God? It's NOT funny! Do you really think that I need this RIGHT NOW?"
Twenty minutes later and literally on my knees in the hot evening Arizona sun, still praying, "PLEASE GOD, help me find my badge!" I finally found it somehow slipped down between my car's driver's seat and the consol just barely visible to my naked eyes as I leaned over the car seat to look under and around it. After apologizing to God and to my longsuffering bride, I finally "rested in Him" . . . but also began slightly dreading the certainly eventual make up test that I know is coming.
1000 X yes.
But my only caution is the difficult task of “grit” turning into “striving”. There is a sense where when we “gut it out”, all we are really doing is depending on our own efforts. It’s hard to make that work long term. Even Jesus said “I can do nothing on my own”. Maybe “grit” should be a “fruit of the spirit”. Right between “Faithfulness” and “Self-Control”. 😊
"And the Boomers were flower children." What an oversimplification: we had to deal with Bomb drills, the Draft, Civil Rights and over 2.7 million of us served in Vietnam. There was a lot of grit, and the majority of us never followed the sex, drugs, and rock and roll stereotype. The roots of progressive Christianity started with us challenging the poverty of most of our denominations.
My thoughts exactly!
Hm... that word grit is a good one and I am going to think more about what it really means. Are we talking about that ol' fashioned individualism that will work hard, pulling at the boot straps? I might talk about it in terms of never giving up, keepin' on even in hard times. But maybe the grit that Jesus talked about, the one that it takes to get through the eye of the needle, is the grit that it takes to not be self-centered, to be other-oriented, to care about the common good and be willing in our actions to express this in the face of this capitalist system that will sell us that spirituality means self-care, often with something to purchase. What is Christian grit?
I like this, and it is true good stuff.
I'm at the tail end of the Baby Boomers who maybe started out as innocent flower children but then blossomed into the debauchery of "sex, drugs, and rock & roll" for our life ethos. No grit there, spiritual or otherwise. Our parents' generation had all kinds of grit, however. They endured the Great Depression and won the Second World War, but then they coddled and spoiled their kids and gave them the things that they never had themselves while growing up. And the succeeding generations of our children and grandchildren now have things harder than ever in some ways that we never had to suffer, things like social isolation and addictions to electronic gadgetry and broken families and the prospects of nuclear holocaust hanging over their heads the likes of which we never had even at the height of the old Cold War.
I've been a "born-again" believer in Jesus Christ for some forty-six years now, and I keep flunking one test after another that our Father gives me. Just last night, I become increasingly frantic because I couldn't find my work ID badge and prox card that lets me in the building. And with some really important things that I need to do early this morning, I prayed at first, and then I cussed, which I know my wife hates hearing, and then I prayed some more, and then I kept looking everywhere I could think of, and eventually I cried out loud to the God I know is there, "Is THIS a test, God? It's NOT funny! Do you really think that I need this RIGHT NOW?"
Twenty minutes later and literally on my knees in the hot evening Arizona sun, still praying, "PLEASE GOD, help me find my badge!" I finally found it somehow slipped down between my car's driver's seat and the consol just barely visible to my naked eyes as I leaned over the car seat to look under and around it. After apologizing to God and to my longsuffering bride, I finally "rested in Him" . . . but also began slightly dreading the certainly eventual make up test that I know is coming.
God, I hope I pass that one.