Page 221 - Built For God Handbook (Annotated and Explained Edition) - The Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching - The New Evangelization - Pope John Paul II

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This chapter begins with a fascinating, imaginative, creative, and unique
image of God as the two ends of an archer’s bow being simultaneously
raised and lowered when the string is pulled in order to achieve a
harmonious balance of tension. That image blossoms into fullness through
the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, who
pitched his tent among us, revealed a God who is absolutely humble, yet
also rose to a new eternal life, glorious beyond all measure.

The ways of our loving God are justice, harmony, and balance, poised to
give to those who humbly align their will to that of God, all they need to live
a meaningful and purposeful life. That divine plan has always, unfortunately,
been thwarted by human greed, selfishness, and injustice. When the
secondary created goods of possessions, prestige, power, and pleasure
become ends in themselves that can never quench the yearning of the
human soul for the infinite, people will always want more and more and
never be satisfied or grateful.

Those who are humble and filled with a certain sense of being loved by God
will be generous, grateful, and seek no undue recognition, for their spiritual
vessels are already overflowing with love and gratitude. As the scriptures
state, they will act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with their God.

b
a Luke 14:8-11; 1 Samuel 2:7-8; Proverbs 13:7; 2 Corinthians 8:9;
d
c James 2:1-5; Proverbs 22:16; Proverbs 28:27; John 14:10-12;
e John 8:54-55.