Beware of persons who envision life as climbing a ladder,a ladder towards individual fame, success, status, and honour.Theymanipulateoppressrepresssuppressabusemalignconnive.They build self-serving utilitarian relationshipsusing human shoulders as rungs of ladders to reach the highest height,driven slavishly by personal ego.Like stealth planes, they go unrecognisable, invading territories of hearts and minds. Be aware of persons who perceive lifeContinue reading “Beware And Be Aware!”
Author Archives: donalddeanchambers
Authentic Love
Authentic love, a paradox in itself, is found in vulnerability. Vulnerability is like stripping yourself naked before the Other and the other, opening our hearts, minds, souls and bodies, revealing the rawness of our Graced imperfection. The Other sees our Graced imperfection, a beauty marked by wrinkles, cracks, brokenness, and wounds. The Other sees theContinue reading “Authentic Love”
Managing the Ego through Prayer
To what can I liken the human ego? It is like an artist performing on a stage. Its only desire is the affirmation and praise from the audience. It lives to be applauded, to receive an encore, to be praised for its excellent work. When this happens, it triggers feelings of happiness and joy. Sometimes,Continue reading “Managing the Ego through Prayer”
Spiritual Exercise
Today, I experienced a euphoric moment with my swimming coach. While coaching me through some land-based swimming movements, he said, “Slow down and relax the muscles. The slower and more relaxed you are, the harder it is on the muscles, the better the mind is cleansed of the old pattern and then, when you applyContinue reading “Spiritual Exercise”
Dysfunctionalism and Transformation
Dogs cannot give birth to cats.Mango trees cannot bear orange fruits.Snow cannot fall in tropical climates.Rivers cannot flow against gravity.Humans cannot fly.Fish cannot walk.Monkeys cannot speak human languages.Birds cannot drive a car.Dysfunctional communities cannot form healthy members.Emotional unintelligent leaders cannot grow an organisation.Ignorant politicians cannot build a healthy nation.Narcissistic religious leaders cannot self-sacrifice.Waste not yourContinue reading “Dysfunctionalism and Transformation”
Relationships
We enter relationshipseither as a destination or a journey.If we enter relationships as a destination, we desireperfection, performance, and precision.We expectimmediate self-satisfaction, self-service, and sensual pleasure.We becomeself-driven, self-focused, and self-absorbed.We envision life as ahighway, high-speed, and highly competitive.We abandon the journey when there areFight, flight, freeze, or fawn.We race and compete for a prize.If weContinue reading “Relationships”
EL CAMINO
THE PREPARATION We prepare to walk the Camino withrigorous physical exercise, expenditures on material goods, and elevated egos, organised planning, precise packing, and weather predictions,spiritual readings, reflections that revitalise,communal masses, meetings and motivational talks.And let’s not forget the mandatory and buzzing WhatsApp chat group. THE PROCESSION In procession along the Camino, we ENCOUNTER Christ, inContinue reading “EL CAMINO”
I reverence this space
I reverence this space of prayer becausemy Lover is present,my Lover invites me,my Lover welcomes me.I reverence this space of prayer not becauseI am worthy, perfect or worthy of it, but because I am the beloved.I reverence this space of prayer becausemy Lover receives my worries, my fears, my doubts, my restlessnessmy Lover desires toContinue reading “I reverence this space”
Complexity of Relationship
Relationships are not fixed like lifeless statues. Rather, they are organic, fluid, and moveable, able to change, existing like a conveyor belt on a continuum, constantly shifting and evolving. We are either hated or loved, accepted or rejected, or we experience relationships at some point between these extremes. Some people love us, and othersContinue reading “Complexity of Relationship”
Communion as friendship
“Friendship flourishes when we dare to share our doubts and seek the truth together” —Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP, Friendship, Synod Assembly 2023. Sharing doubts and seeking the truth together is possible only by swimming through the turbulent waters of vulnerability. Brené Brown states vulnerability is an uncomfortable feeling of “uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure”. VulnerabilityContinue reading “Communion as friendship”
Beloved Reflections 