Possession
Psalm 24
Journal entry dated March 17, 2005
"The earth is the Lord's, and all that it holds."
What does it mean that the earth belongs to the Lord? At some level, this is a radical challenge to our notions of private property. It means that nothing truly belongs to us. It has been given to us for our use. The idea of ownership, the conception that this thing or place (or person) is exclusively mine and no one else's, is at the heart of all kinds of conflict between human beings.
That little word "mine" touched off our first infant squabbles, and has sent God knows how many millions to their deaths in wars and conflicts the cause of which no one remembers, other than to say that they were about possession.
"Not mine" - a spiritual discipline
The Selah Project
1 comment:
S you really hit the nail on the head with this one. I am in a really big conflict over this infantile mine nonsense. The way our priest explained it is like the stupid duck who is territorial about his pen! Ridiculous in human beings if you ask me. On the other hand in regards to love I did see an article by Frederica Mathewes-Green who I often do not agree with about love being possesive, like this is the way God designed it, at least when it comes to marital love. Hence the Song of Solomon, I will set you as seal upon my arm and upon my heart. What do you think about this?
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