At the heart of the human condition we are needy. We want. From infancy we learn to be so.
A baby cries for food, for warmth, for comfort, for attention, to have it’s needs met. As the child grows this is further reinforced through childhood and adolescence as the family and society expressing their care, duty and love continue to pay attention to the developing person; pampering to it’s needs. The child learns to crave attention and limelight, it gets what it demands most of the time. Throwing a tantrum when it is ignored. It is not therefore surprising that as adults that we are not much different, we want. We want a comfortable home, nice food, good looks, health, wealth, fame, attention, sex, relationships, power, success; we want. Even in the church people want.
Most of what we want, that which we crave for only temporarily satisfies, we soon want more, we never have enough. Our capacity for wanting is insatiable. We are hardwired and socially conditioned for wanting.
Mary listened to the angel, and submitted to the will of God. “Be it done to me according to thy word…” Her acceptance and grace allowed all of humanity the chance of salvation, of freedom and love.
We can slake our insatiable thirst by responding to God’s call like Mary. If we follow Christ’s example and live for others, love others feed their needs. Then a remarkable thing happens, we stop wanting, we become satisfied.
A baby cries for food, for warmth, for comfort, for attention, to have it’s needs met. As the child grows this is further reinforced through childhood and adolescence as the family and society expressing their care, duty and love continue to pay attention to the developing person; pampering to it’s needs. The child learns to crave attention and limelight, it gets what it demands most of the time. Throwing a tantrum when it is ignored. It is not therefore surprising that as adults that we are not much different, we want. We want a comfortable home, nice food, good looks, health, wealth, fame, attention, sex, relationships, power, success; we want. Even in the church people want.
Most of what we want, that which we crave for only temporarily satisfies, we soon want more, we never have enough. Our capacity for wanting is insatiable. We are hardwired and socially conditioned for wanting.
Mary listened to the angel, and submitted to the will of God. “Be it done to me according to thy word…” Her acceptance and grace allowed all of humanity the chance of salvation, of freedom and love.
We can slake our insatiable thirst by responding to God’s call like Mary. If we follow Christ’s example and live for others, love others feed their needs. Then a remarkable thing happens, we stop wanting, we become satisfied.
"I pray that you and I can be reborn with the grace to love God and others, and our desires be for others and the Christ child."
