Prayer
Room
|
 |
Step Seven-
Care
Psychosocial Crisis:
Generativity vs. Self Absorption
Range of Relationship: Divided Labor and Shared Household
Care is the broadening concern for what has been generated by
love, necessity, or accident - a concern which must consistently
overcome the ambivalence adhering to irreversible obligation and
the narrowness of self-concern.
[Erik H. Erickson, The Human Cycle (1968)]
[Care; 26x43 in. Painting by Nadine McHenry. In middle age, there is a larger concern for society and future generations.]
Biblical Reference Walk with God in the light and you will not live in darkness
Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
[2 Corinthians, Chapter 5, verses 11-21]
Taoist Reference
[The Great Tao] is breath to everything, and yet it asks for nothing back;
It feeds and creates everything, but it will never tell you so.
It nurtures all things without lording it over anything.
It names itself in the lowest of the low.
[Tao Te Ching, Chapter 34]
Heaven and earth make love, and a sweet dew-rain falls. The people do not know why, but they are gathered together like music...
[Tao Te Ching, Chapter 32]
Plant Selection
Silver Maple
Upon closer inspection it is found that the stalwart maple has a hollow trunk and several hollow limbs. The squirrels, opossums, and carpenter ants have taken advantage of the aging tree's condition.
[Thomas Bare]
Step Seven: Care
The Way is bringing breath to all,
Nurtures all and asks for nothing,
Concerned for others, giving care.
The maple gathers all as music:
"Live within my gnarled branches.
Dance with all my leaves and seeds.
Ascend my sturdy shadow.
Find the everlasting sun!"
[Randall E. Dinsdale]
From the program notes for the Abendmusik: Lincoln Eight Garden Steps concert, May 19, 2002.
|
05/03/08 |