Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 12:12am
What is your good news?
Column: PERFECTBALANCELIFE
Do you have a message to share with others that is worth dying for? If you do not, then I believe you are only half alive. We eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, make money, make love, make someone upset, get depressed, marry, raise a family, get old, and then die. Is there anything else? If you are primarily focused on fulfilling the mundane demands of physical existence, you will not be able to discover your unique message to share with the world. Rather, you will be consumed with an overwhelming anxiousness to preserve your individual life — at all costs. This is no way to live! We must experience authentic love and connect this love into every detail of our life. This love is the only thing worth dying for: "Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it" (Luke 17:33). Let's flesh this idea out a little bit further.
In Buddhism one is encouraged to give up being attached to transient things like desire, passion, the pursuit of wealth, striving for fame, etc., in order to experience a life of freedom and peace. In the Christian tradition one is encouraged to stay clear of the so-called "seven deadly sins" identified as pride, envy, wrath, sloth, avarice, gluttony and lust. In 1 Corinthians 13, we are admonished by Paul to not be so foolish as to think that our human accomplishments can ever surpass divine love. The only thing worth gaining by dying for it is authentic love. I don't know about you, but I can tell you I'm not going to put my life on the line for a job, a career, a bigger tax return, a bigger house ... you get the idea.
All worthy faith traditions encourage us to not be deceived by the assumed benefits attached to pursuing a life of self-centered gratification and pleasure. This is why such traditions consistently promote guidelines for moral and ethical behavior. One of my favorite expressions of moral and upright living is found in the Bible, in the Book of Proverbs. I strongly suggest you read the 31 short, pithy chapters. This particular book in the Old Testament is cast in poetic form, usually in couplets. All throughout we are reminded of just what it takes to be worthy of living.
Your "good news," news worthy of being willing to die for in order to share it with others, can only be a message that speaks of love and hope for each individual. It is important for you to find your unique message that, when you open your mouth and speak it, will be able bring new life and hope into the world. I cannot think of anything nobler or more substantial to be shared with others than this. How about you?
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Jack LaValley is a practitioner of the martial arts, physical cultivation exercises, and sitting meditation. Although currently working in the hospitality industry, he spends much of his free time helping and working together with those who are pursuing the spiritual path. Jack and his wife, Wha-ja Oh-LaValley, a native of South Korea, reside in Westchester County, New York, and are the proud parents of three beautiful children. Jack is completing his book manuscript, "A Perfectly Balanced Life: Living Each Day with Wisdom and Strength," and expects publication to be in October 2008. You can reach Jack at: pefectbalance1@optimum.net © Copyright 2007 by Jack LaValley.
In Buddhism one is encouraged to give up being attached to transient things like desire, passion, the pursuit of wealth, striving for fame, etc., in order to experience a life of freedom and peace. In the Christian tradition one is encouraged to stay clear of the so-called "seven deadly sins" identified as pride, envy, wrath, sloth, avarice, gluttony and lust. In 1 Corinthians 13, we are admonished by Paul to not be so foolish as to think that our human accomplishments can ever surpass divine love. The only thing worth gaining by dying for it is authentic love. I don't know about you, but I can tell you I'm not going to put my life on the line for a job, a career, a bigger tax return, a bigger house ... you get the idea.
All worthy faith traditions encourage us to not be deceived by the assumed benefits attached to pursuing a life of self-centered gratification and pleasure. This is why such traditions consistently promote guidelines for moral and ethical behavior. One of my favorite expressions of moral and upright living is found in the Bible, in the Book of Proverbs. I strongly suggest you read the 31 short, pithy chapters. This particular book in the Old Testament is cast in poetic form, usually in couplets. All throughout we are reminded of just what it takes to be worthy of living.
Your "good news," news worthy of being willing to die for in order to share it with others, can only be a message that speaks of love and hope for each individual. It is important for you to find your unique message that, when you open your mouth and speak it, will be able bring new life and hope into the world. I cannot think of anything nobler or more substantial to be shared with others than this. How about you?
— — —
Jack LaValley is a practitioner of the martial arts, physical cultivation exercises, and sitting meditation. Although currently working in the hospitality industry, he spends much of his free time helping and working together with those who are pursuing the spiritual path. Jack and his wife, Wha-ja Oh-LaValley, a native of South Korea, reside in Westchester County, New York, and are the proud parents of three beautiful children. Jack is completing his book manuscript, "A Perfectly Balanced Life: Living Each Day with Wisdom and Strength," and expects publication to be in October 2008. You can reach Jack at: pefectbalance1@optimum.net © Copyright 2007 by Jack LaValley.