Topsy-Turvy Thinking

It was a moment of humor that could have originated only in the ingenuousness of a child's mind. A little girl asked, "Mommy, why does it get dark outside very time I put my pajamas on?"

Cause-effect relationships are not always apparent to a child. Neither are adults exempt from faulty thinking, sometimes in matters that have to do with the welfare of their very souls. We all know of people who neglect church attendance because of a falling-out with their pastor, thus blaming him for their own free choice to rupture their relationship with God. And countless immature, self-righteous people feel that they have a "right" to harbor resentment and withhold forgiveness because they were victimized unjustly, or because the offender hadn't apologized.

Such petty-minded individuals - many of whom regard themselves as Bible-believing Christians - have never been impacted by the biblical injunction: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ JesuL who, ...taking the vary nature of a servant, ...humbled himself" (Phil 2:5-8). Their twisted thinking does not admit of Christlike self-sacrificing love and humility; their topsy-turvy mind cannot desire "being like-minded, having the same love...in humility considering others better than yourselves" (vv.2-3).

"I have set you an example, " said Jesus. "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (Jn 13:15, 17).

This excerpt is from the book One-Minute Meditations for Busy People, by John H. Hampsch, C.M.F., originally published by Servant Publications. It and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and audio/video recordings can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408 or www.Catholicbooks.net