Blog - Joyful Curmudgeon - Blog
A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 

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Quotations - 20 Apr 2006
By Mary T. Hoffman

I have so many “favorite” quotations. Two of these quotations that I find compatible to each other in their application to living are the following:

“To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most of the people you see every day, is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can have.” – Theodore H. White, American political writer (1915-1986)

“He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away.” – Raymond Hull, writer (1919-1985)

What these two writers had in mind when they made these statements probably has very little, if anything, to do with the way I would apply their statements to my own life. They were probably speaking in general, and not about any specifics; therefore, these quotations have universal appeal.

As for me, I must admit that it can indeed be difficult to have my eyes opened to the cruelty and injustice in this world and know that most people choose to brush aside, ignore, or deny reality. This knowledge forces me to make a choice. If I choose to go along with the world, pretending that there’s nothing wrong with something because “that’s the way it’s always been done,” “it’s standard in the industry,” etc., I will probably end up “whittling myself away.” But if, peacefully, I choose to work and persevere in what is kind, good and gentle, I will be true to myself.

Galatians 5:22-23 gives us a good plan to follow:

22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23. gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

~New American Standard Bible  

Go on to: Holy Friday and Christian Orthodoxy - 21 Apr 2006
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