Three Rules for Living

Three Rules for Living

After a beautiful Last Supper Tableau at the church where I serve, I came home last night and watched the final three holes of The Masters on DVR, which was interesting enough. What really caught my attention, however, was the episode of 60 Minutes afterward tournament that was dedicated to Pope Francis.

While there are several key theological points that he and I will probably never see eye-to-eye on I continue to be incredibly inspired by his witness and leadership. The way in which he carries himself and lives out his faith inspire me to be a better follower of Christ. Francis’ life, deeply rooted in simplicity, reminds me of another amazing life, that of Brother Roger of Taizé. During the last few days of Lent and now Holy Week I’ve been reading as part of a daily devotional the small book 15 Days of Prayer with Brother Roger of Taizé. http://www.newcitypress.com/15-days-of-prayer-with-brother-roger-of-taize.html

After watching the piece on Pope Francis I read the words of Brother Roger, which were a challenge to find ways to root our life in the joyful good news of the Resurrection, even, and especially amidst our own darkness. What would our lives look like if they were rooted in the Resurrection? To borrow a phrase from Wendell Berry, what would our world look like if we were to “practice Resurrection”?

As my subconscious mind rolled these things around I woke up this morning wondering, in the tradition of John Wesley, what would be my own three rules for living? This is what I arrived at, at least for this week!

1. 1.     Love and serve others as Jesus did.
2. 2.     Make art that connects, is honest and transformative.
3. 3.     Live a compassionate life that seeks justice, peace and reconciliation for all people.

This framework seems like a pretty decent way to experience this week, maybe even a decent way to live a life!

During this week of intense stress and demand, where we pour out our energy honoring Jesus’ sacrifice, it is tempting to be mindful of living just to survive the week, which is certainly understandable. What if we were able to give ourselves a bit of grace, perhaps even just ten minutes of silence, to ponder the framework of our lives and ministry?

What three rules would you create for yourself?