Life to the Limit
'The human individual lives usually far within his limits,' according to (the US psychologist) William James. 'It is the habit of inferiority to our full self.'
This week came news of a man who chose not to succumb to such a habit. His name is Rob Hall, a Canadian who heard the call of God, like his hero, Abraham, to 'Go!', without knowing quite where he would end up.
As he and his wife Kate wrote on their blog: 'Our kids can be carried, changed on the grass, happy with a stick as a toy... so we are selling our house, freeing ourselves of clutter and OFF WE GO! ...
'The plan? To learn what it means to be on an adventure with God. Sharing ideas on helping people launch their own adventure and hopefully in some way using our skills to bring justice and mercy to those in need.'
Wow. The journey took them through Britain (where they engaged with a 24-7 prayer conference), to Taize, along a pilgrimage trail in Spain, and then on to Zambia, where they began training students at a Bible college - in theology, agriculture, and 'the biblical basis of business'.
They were also helping literally to build the college itself, when, tragically, last Tuesday Rob died, in an accident while constructing the college's prayer room.
It's his funeral tomorrow. Today, it would have been his birthday. And friends have posted this challenge, by way of a tribute to a man who chose to live:
'It would be wonderful to have a day of Random Acts of Kindness in honour of Rob. So, this Friday, take time to perform at least one. Something simple: pick up someone's bill in the coffee line, baby-sit a single mom's children, visit an elderly relative...'
Such an act may help us, in turn, to break 'the habit of inferiority to the full self'. Life is contagious, after all. And even the smallest acts of a life lived to the full may ripple out in ways beyond our knowing.
As Robert F Kennedy said:
'Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.'
Brian Draper
Brian Draper's much-loved Lenten e-mail series - the 'Lent 40' - starts next Wednesday. To sign up (or for more details), visit http://www.spiritualintelligence.co.uk or e-mail brian.draper@ntlworld.com
Links
Rob's memorial site is here
'With Kids In Tow' - the Hall's family blog - is here
How wonderful, how true,we must all rise to our potential and be free not held back by institutions and rules whuch assail us all. A woman aged 101 years said to me this week "It is all about the Glory of god that is what matters" I did not know her until last Wednesday and she offered to read the prayers on the prayer card I was using for a group of older very frail people, I let her read the prayers I was uplifted and felt thepower of the spirit among us all then . Praise be to God for Rob's the generosity of spirit. May his family be given strength and the power of the spirit as they face loneliness without him. Mary
Date:
2011-03-04 18:16:40
Author:
mary quenby