GET SOME DEMONSTRATIONS

Intellectual discussions of spirituality can be interesting but have no value without demonstration. Consider: you have decided to become a snow skier. You read books and magazines on skiing, attend lectures and seminars, learn about snow and meteorology, purchase the latest skiing attire and have custom skis made. Are you a skier? To the casual observer you seem to meet the criterion: you “know” all about skiing and have all the latest and best gear. Except you have never actually skied. A seasoned skier would not be fooled for a moment. They would listen to you and know shortly that your “knowledge” is all theoretical, none of it based on actual experience. And besides, you forget to cut the price tag off your parka. Being a lodge or bench skier has it’s advantages: you never get hurt (as long as you don’t insult an actual skier), stay warm and dry with minimal wear and tear on your gear and wardrobe. The only problem being the point of skiing is to ski, to experience all those wonderful things you read and heard about.

Now most folks who decide to ski, do. Spiritually however many choose to remain in the lodge, convinced that self knowledge is sufficient, taking the slopes unnecessary. Both cases of bench warmers demonstrate the same truths: Self knowledge avails us nothing that faith without works is dead and they wish to enjoy a certain reputation they know in their heart they don‘t deserve. Knowledge has little or no value until it is put into action/demonstration, when we lack the faith to put what we “know” to work we live in fear of our lack of faith in demonstration. For faith to be vital we must leave the lodge and hit the slopes, and just like the beginning skier, regardless of how much we “know” we are going fall, make mistakes. But the well schooled beginner who remains teachable will profit and learn quicker from their miscues than those who live solely by hit or miss, avoiding the soul searing pain of making the same mistakes over and over. So step out in faith and demonstrate over the challenges and difficulties of life by a simple reliance on a Power Greater Than Yourself, employing prayer and meditation to solve all your problems. Oh, and never ski on old wax.