One of my favorite quotes from my class in Existential Phenomenology is this: Man is an embodied-consciousness-with-others-in-the-world. This is the basic truth of my existence. I am here. I am here with others. I and the others share but one world. I am part of the truth that is our existence and I know it without any need of proof that I am indeed here.
There is beauty in this world. I go on a nature walk and I see beauty all round me: the majestic towering trees, the riotous explosion of colors of flowers in full bloom, the perennial freshness of the green grass, the limitless expanse of the blue sky. At night I look up the same sky and I see the twinkling of a billions stars, the thrilling sight of comets and falling stars, the romantic waxing and waning of the moon, the gentle swaying of the trees as the cool night breeze passes by. And as I am immersed in all of that beauty, I know that I am part of it all and I need no proof to tell me that I live in and with beauty.
There is goodness in the world. It is good that I am here. It is good that beauty surrounds me. But more than that, I see goodness in the life and lives that thrive around me. I see goodness in people gathering together in love and brotherhood. I see goodness in young couple living together and bringing up a family. I see goodness when people share what they have, what they do and what they are with others. And when I see all of this goodness, I know that I am part of it all and need no proof to tell me that goodness exists.
I see the truth, the beauty and the goodness there is in the world. I know I am part of that scene. This is all there for me to exist and partake of that truth, beauty and goodness. And I am here to share my own truth, beauty and goodness with others in this world.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
Psalm 145
While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath,
his disciples were picking the heads of grain,
rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
Some Pharisees said,
“Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Have you not read what David did
when he and those who were with him were hungry?
How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,
which only the priests could lawfully eat,
ate of it, and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
Luke 6:1-5