What's Right About This World

What’s Right About This World

Theology in the Trenches

by Kathleen Kjolhaug

Perspective is always good…especially when trying to find out what’s right about any given situation. A familiar tune I remembered as I came to the table to write. Perhaps you, too, know it.

“Though the wrong seems oft so strong…God is the Ruler yet.” These lyrics were written back in the day by a pastor from Lockport, New York. He enjoyed hikes up to higher points-of-view where he could look upon farms, orchards, and Lake Ontario extending outwards some fifteen miles.

Pastor Babcock, before beginning his walks would say, “I’m going out to see my Father’s world.”

The lyrics are sacred. Into the deep crevices, they fall filling gaps that yearn generationally to make sense of a world that oft seems unrecognizable. Being able to see for miles in any given direction creates a panoramic view. To see things from that vantage point is always breathtaking as into focus the big picture emerges rather than the small clutter blocking one’s view.

“This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears…” Pastor Babcock continues.

Listening, now that’s something that takes on many forms. “Be Thou My Vision Lord, Be Thou My Guide” rings true from yet another prayerful perspective. Wisdom begets wisdom and the passing on of it is a mighty thing. You see, familiar threads weave patterns deep within strengthening the very fabric on which the foundation of the world began. The familiar helps us find our way and listening is a part of that process.

So how does one become keenly intimate with the process of seeing and listening as if it was one in the same? Is it possible?

“Listen with the ear of your heart,” is what Benedict wrote when introducing his rule. His rule was not something made up of regulations to follow; rather, it was penned to help many find a way to live out the Gospel at a time when society around him looked anything but Christ-like. The “rule” was not a list of to-dos; rather, it helped offer stability, obedience, and a way of life in which to live the Gospel (Laureen Virnig, OSB).

When I listen with the ear of my heart, as Benedict suggests, it is like pressing pause. Many times in our lives we recognize the need to pause. It beckons. It calls. As I listen, I am better able to see more clearly that which is before me, in me, and He who is moving through me.

Prayerful listening calls us to contemplate. Contemplation satisfies a longing for that which the soul yearns. To be set apart is one thing, but to set oneself aside is quite another. To set aside one’s self is an act of intentionality. It’s a plan of action we are all capable of, whether it be out in the wilderness, in the car driving from point A to point B, or be it a walk between the kitchen sink and the toy room. If we are intentional, those moments are and can be sacred.

Often times, hearing His still small voice above the overtures around us may appear to be a daunting task. It is not. To be able to set yourself aside is merely a mindful act.

We hear much about mindfulness these days. Mindfulness may bring about an inner quiet, but His mind is what truly transforms. Putting on the mind of Christ to be Thou our vision can only happen when we listen. When we listen, we not only are able to see more clearly but we remember that He is our Ruler yet. This not only brings comfort but a spurring on, if you will, to pass it on.

In the stillness, I am better able to listen with my eyes. What He has shown me has moved me. As He becomes our vision, may we be able to listen with the ear of our heart in order to see more clearly.

Remnants of the recognizable I saw while listening with my eyes:

v  Daddy gripping hand of little girl as she skips across parking lot to school.

v  Child discovering the delight of mixing paint colors for the very first time.

v  Wounded warriors sharing journeys so others who go through the dark night of the soul will be able to recognize more clearly Light piercing the darkness.

v  Grown girls hugging their mama communicating love of understanding…no words needed.

v  Retired teacher saying yes…she will sub one more day…giving of herself…thank you Gwenn.

v  Young men gathering to pull out a dock too heavy to bear for the elderly owner.

v  Just a simple note communicating “Thank You” for walking upon this earth.

v  Pastor Babcock writing lyrics for all to hear His holy name some 100 years later.

We remember once again what the songwriter wrote, “O let me ne’er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong God is the Ruler yet.”

Psalm 50:12 backs him up. “The world is Mine, and all that is in it.”

Praise His Holy name.  Amen.