Friday 19 April 2013

The undoing of the secular ascetic within us

Another way of looking at the importance of ‘Christian attitude’ is for the undoing of the secular mind in Christians and for the renewal of the Christian life. Without a lively appreciation of the Christian attitude it so easy for Christians to think with the secular mind: what obligation-driven purpose is calling me to respond, how is the culture calling me to think or act, how can I fit in with or what are my obligations to the secular culture?
Such an ascetic as this actually inhibits and seems to make redundant the Christian attitude of receiving, responding to and relating, immediately, here and now, with the presence of the Risen Christ. The Christian attitude seeks to be more aware of how great is the gift, how wonderful the way in which I am loved by Christ, how can I love Him?  It is an attitude that seeks to embrace the concrete reality of my life in the light of my relationship with Christ. Not to be led by the culture, but to discern my response to it in the light of Christ. That ability to receive Him, respond to Him, and embrace the relationship I have with Him, can so easily be occluded if I don’t have an appreciation of, and a desire for the formation of my Christian attitude. 


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