Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 59 – An Ordinary Man
I will be brief this morning. To myself and to millions around the world, he was known as the pope, the holy father, the vicar of Christ and a host of other titles. Witnessing how even more countless millions are responding to his death, it is easy to see that when you come right down to it, he was just an ordinary man; an ordinary man who touched hearts, souls and consciences around the globe. Here is a sampling of some of his wisdom.
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"The truth is not always the same as the majority decision."
"Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song."
"Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence."
"Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn't misuse it"
"Anything done for another is done for oneself."
"Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes."
"As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live."
"The future starts today, not tomorrow."
"I have a sweet tooth for song and music. This is my Polish sin."
"To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others."
"An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a lie guarded."
"Humanity should question itself, once more, about the absurd and always unfair phenomenon of war, on whose stage of death and pain only remain standing the negotiating table that could and should have prevented it."
"Work bears a particular mark of man and of humanity, the mark of a person operating within a community of persons."
"The historical experience of socialist countries has sadly demonstrated that collectivism does not do away with alienation but rather increases it, adding to it a lack of basic necessities and economic inefficiency."
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In Fitness & Friendship,
Mahler
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
Not to offend anyone, but to me religion seems kind of like, I don't know the word.. but its like anyone that is fairly religious is blind.. because alot of everything that revolves around religion is like "Follow me, do as i do, and you will be fine" blah blah blah.. stuff like that.. Its like your just going for a ride and not knowing were it ends.. I guess pretty bad analogy but whatever.. Just trying to state my confusion about religion
JaW,
I guess you didn't notice that very little of what is in this post has to do with religion. One can be recognized as a wise man and a shaper of history irrespective of his faith or lack thereof.
Mahler
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
I was fortunate enough to be in Rome last Saturday to witness the faithful at St Peter's Square. I'm not a Catholic but I couldn't help be moved at the overwhelming sense of love and compassion there.
In response to Jaw - I am sure in years to come we will look back and quote you.
"I don't know the word.."
"stuff like that.."
and of course the unforgettable -
"I guess pretty bad analogy but whatever.."
To get serious, I find religion to be a part of the fabric of life. It is almost an art form which expresses itself in different mediums. Some people look around them and see atoms and molecules and nothing more. I can't help but look around me and see the finger of God tracing the myraid shapes that make up this fascinating world; and all the while with a smile on his face.
Believe or don't believe. That is your choice. But, take it from me, belief is a far more difficut path.
Mahler
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
I'm a little late on this one, but I think the work that JaW was looking for was FAITH. We all have it. The important part is where you place it [img]smile.gif[/img]
Here's the definition from Dictionary.com..
-Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
-Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. See Synonyms at belief. See Synonyms at trust.
-Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one's supporters.
often Faith Christianity.
-The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.
-The body of dogma of a religion: the Muslim faith.
The point of my post was to remind everyone that Jaw said a couple of things that were intended to make sure people knew he was simply stating his opinion, which, as he indicated himself, he is not so sure about.
Of course there's an all powerful being guiding creation with a smile on his face...
...have you never seen a duck billed platypus!
CSLewis the religous scholar and fellow Belfast man who wrote the Narnia books hit it on the nail in "The Last Prince"(Silver Chair?). When the hero is asked why does he believe he says, roughly,"I choose to believe because it would be better that way - and depressing to believe it was any other"
So a half glass full kinda guy -bit like me and my "nearly in shape" as opposed to "nearly a slob"!
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Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. -- Sidney J. Harris
I have to agree with JaW. For most of us, and I say most of us because some people actually do stray away from what they were raised to believe and choose their own religion, but most of us believe what we were raised to believe. Most of us would be part of a completely different religion if we were raised with that religion surrounding us.
Anyway that wasn't the point of this thread, thanks Mahler as always for posting this.
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And major action will certainly make you feel a bit uncomfortable, which is absolutely fine. You've gotta get excited about feeling uncomfortable, you've gotta love feeling slightly uncomfortable, because you know that you're stepping outside the boundaries that you used to create.
Zach Even-Esh
I've made some huge mistakes, but they were necessary, because without them I wouldn't have learned anything.
-Dave Tate
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