John 8: 1-11
Hi Everyone,
Just thought I would check in and see how everyone is doing with the practice of “dropping the stone.” You remember that as we considered what it might mean to drop the stones that we are carrying and so be free to reach out to others in acceptance and kindness, we said that it might include:
Learning to be honest about our own angers and insecurities, our sins and shortcomings that cause us to react when we see those things in others.
Learning to stop insisting on our innocence because, sooner or later, we’re all guilty.
Learning to be compassionate with everyone. As one philosopher is said to have written: Be Kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.
Learning to remember that in the story we looked at, none of them was able to stand before Jesus’ question. Neither can we.
Learning to remember that Jesus told the woman “neither do I condemn you”. And neither can we.
Learning to remember that Jesus was the only one there who didn’t have a stone in his hands. Who do you want to be?
So…in this way we can extend our spirituality beyond the realm of truth statements to be believed, into a practice that we can…..well, practice. Whenever we find ourselves churning over some insult, or remembering some hurt that has been done to us, whenever we know that we have been wronged or mistreated, whenever we see something in another person that just gets under our skin, we can stop for a moment, take a deep breathe, and picture ourselves holding this big stone. And then we can picture ourselves just opening up our hands and letting the stone drop to the floor. See it fall. Hear it hit the ground.
And choose to leave it there.
Do it a hundred times in a day if you have to, until you no longer reach back down to pick it up again.
How are you doing?
Blessings,
Sam
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