The pilgrim and the distractions in the way 3

Átila da Silva to AGAINST HANDS


To cut the pilgrimage.

To cut the reality that resembles what we think or want it to be the real is a trend very natural for one who loves and obeys the Master Jesus Christ (We, humans, are like that!).

We want to control and manipulate the contexts of life for what they say what we want to hear. It doesn't matter whether it will cut the true faith, the loyal love, the healthy fidelity, the undisputed compromises, the lucid humanity, the humbleness (and even the freedom and individuality of anyone), depriving them like elements of pilgrimage proposed by the Master.

When we started to use our existential scissors to adapt the pilgrimage to our needs, we deny the pilgrim's start point: "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me"... in other words: who wants to follow me, he must deny himself now and every day, take his identification with Me and follow me wherever I conduct him.

Therefore, the search of pilgrim is not a form of pilgrimage that best suits of your needs. That 'the deceived' do migrating of one a religious group to another, of a ecclesiastical proposal to another, through TV programs, by books, by preachers or cults.

The pilgrim makes clippings, yes, but in your mind, your feelings, your soul, in his convictions, in his confession of faith, in his practice life, always by the Word of the Master. Thus we find, for example, some words from Paul's letter to the Romans (12:2) - do not use the clipping of the world, but cut your mind with the renovation that lead to good, perfect and pleasing will to God.

Before you grab your existential scissors see what will be cut. The pilgrim has only one action that can and should do: cut yourself to be conformed to the image of the Master.

It's time to cut...

The pilgrim and the distractions in the way 2

Átila da Silva to AGAINST HANDS

One of our habitual tendencies is to make things with which we relate EQUAL to ourselves. That is, people, events, concepts and preconceptions, everything is repeatedly  discerned and interpreted from our own reflex.

The point of reference for the interpretation of the spiritual, emotional or material world, is ourselves.

Therefore, how much more intimacy with something or someone, how much minor the respect and awareness of their value.

The dimension of who is the other and means for us is being mimicked. One would expect a mimicry with the environment, but in our case we impose mimicry to others, to life.

This reality is a big distraction on the way to the pilgrim. Suddenly, he looks around and realizes that everything is a lot like him, giving him the false idea that he is in the overwhelming majority of the time, sure, you do not need to seek an urgent transformation and continuous, that reached anenviable level, where his worldview and his capacity for analysis and interpretation, are almost the same as Christ Jesus.

When the pilgrim leaves to see how he is and conforms the people, the concepts, the objectives, reasons for being in his image and likeness, then turn awaywalk with the Master. Keep walking, only lost in his own reflection!

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Image of Pablo Picasso in www.flickr.com 

The pilgrim and the distractions in the way 1

Átila da Silva to AGAINST HANDS

The pilgrim lives the tension to continue living with the values ​​and ways of being and thinking of society without God(1). Jesus had predicted this (Gospel of John 17:14 to 16). This context brings the certainty to cause strong distress to the pilgrims (Gospel of John 16:33), because he was a son of God, has a new life story being written and is moving in the opposite direction to the world around him. Further, was made light in Christ and his spiritual influence goes against the spiritual powers that dominate the environment and enable opportunities for mistakes, for the hardening and darkening of the heart(2). So, he will suffer.

Even trying to follow Christ, the pilgrim can hold attitudes that are real obstacles and away from the pilgrimage route. In this series, we will discuss some of them.

Today, we would like you to think about the ability what we have to judge people. We do this because we lose sight of the walk. While we judge others, we give the self-reflection and lose track of what we are doing here yet. This obstacle is so culturally accepted inside and outside the community of faith that seems less harmful than others "grave sins".


There is also a way to adapt this condemning procedure to the other in ecclesial context. It is sanctified through the false interest of the welfare of others conveyed by the pretext of prayer.

This reflection can be seen in Jesus's statement in Matthew 7:1 to 5 (Luke 6: 37; John 7: 24) and also Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:5. If you are a pilgrim, remember that you do not close your mind and heart to judge the other persons in any situation, whether he is right or wrong, will put obstacles with their own hands in his own pilgrimage and eventually parked on the roadside or even reverse, led by the normal procedure in such a world, christian or not.

Below are some examples of trial that did not work ... "Do not judge so quickly. We won't!":

PS:

1. It is interesting that the Greek word for "without God" is  átheos , or atheist. See Letter of Paul to Ephesians 2: 12.

2. Check the consistency of such statements: Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 6:12, 2:1 and 3; Gospel of Matthew 5:15,16 and 16:18.

3. Sources: Photos: CONTRA MÃOS and Dadstreet. The videos were taken from advertising campaigns of Ameriquest Mortgage Company in Youtube.