What Have You Forgotten?

The Sufis call spiritual practice, "Remembrance," because much of what we "learn" in our spiritual pursuits, we already know and have forgotten. Think about it -- how many times in life have you learned the exact same lesson? Take that old chestnut "Love your neighbor" for example...have you mastered that one yet? Yeah, me either. 

In some religious traditions, the entire canonical Bible is read in a 3-year cycle. Rinse and repeat. And yet, every time I hear a "familiar" passage, something new rises to the surface. This morning, in my tiny Episcopal parish, we read Psalm 127 together, and the third verse stood out to be like never before:

"It is in vain that you rise so early and go to bed so late; vain, too, to eat the bread of toil, for he gives his beloved sleep."

I've heard this psalm many times before -- yep, got it. Unless God builds the house, it's in vain. Yep, been there, heard that. This time, though, at a time in life where I'm seriously questioning the hustle culture, this verse was like, "Smack. Listen up, Denise. Stop hustling. Stop striving. It's all in vain."

Vain. 

As in futile, but also vain as in "you probably think this song is about you, don't you?" Even we who call ourselves Givers can have a shadow side of vanity lurking about. Then, along came today's Gospel reading that was all like, "Beware those egomaniacs who run around in their elaborate robes, doing good deeds as long as the press is there to record it all, posting on social media every time they donate a pair of socks to the poor" (loosely translated. From the Greek, I think.). I had to have a serious talk with myself, "Denise. Are you giving so that others see you? To be recognized? Out of vanity?" 

(I'll not share those answers, as that was a private conversation after all.)

But the questions are worth asking, aren't they? What are you hustling for? What are you striving for? For whose approval do you seek? Is it even a worthwhile pursuit?

And -- to bring it full circle here, don't think that you won't forget this lesson and need to remember it again. If we get it right for about 15 minutes before forgetting, then I think we are doing pretty darn good. After all, we are students in Earth School, and we are here to learn. And forget. And remember. And forget. And remember . . .