The Fixed Mindset
Be enlightened by the Holy Spirit
The Catholic Church famously opposed
Copernicus and Galileo in the 16th and 17th century when they expounded the
theory that the earth revolved around the Sun – and not the other way round –
the view held by the Church.
It was only in 1820 that the Church
allowed another astronomer, Joseph Settle, to declare the motion of the Earth,
as proposed by Copernicus over 200 years ago, as fact.
Three hundred and fifty years after
Galileo's death, Pope John Paul II said in 1992 “that Galileo suffered unjustly
at the hands of the Church and praised Galileo's religiousness and his views
and behaviors regarding the relationship between science and religion.”
It is to the Church’s credit that
when a matter is proved beyond doubt as an indisputable fact it is willing to
change its view, as we all should, who have a ‘fixed mindset’ about something.
The Catholic Church is like an
aircraft carrier of old. The carrier had to sail close to seven miles, if it
had to make an about-turn. The newer ones probably turn faster – and so does
the New Church.
And when the Church does change,
turbulent waves are left in its wake – as it must steer one billion faithful,
spread across seven continents, of different dispensations and outlook - to its
‘new’ view.
The Catholic Church is slow in
changing its outlook, but it does refine it with passing of five to six
generations or every three to four centuries. The change is based on
generational changes, and not the flavor, trend, or fad of the day, year or
decade(s).
We all have heard people exclaim,
“Oh, forget it, he has a fixed mindset.”
A fixed mindset seems to suggest that
an individual or organization is restraining himself or itself from not
thinking beyond certain self-imposed boundaries related to a particular subject
matter in which a level of deep, satisfying comfort has been achieved – the
proverbial ‘comfort zone’.
You may also have heard people say,
“I have made up my mind. Now, don’t confuse me with facts.” That’s like
shutting the door on a person before he can explain himself to clear a
misunderstanding and be of genuine assistance or enlightenment.
These restraints or blinders that we
put on ourselves could be out of lack of interest in the matter or the
apprehension that it might shake, shatter, and alter our fondly held beliefs.
These beliefs could be religious (which generally tend to be cast in stone) or
more injuriously, how we view other communities, races, orientations and
ideologies. Today, in the US and UK, anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head again.
Scholars are known to react violently
when their pet theories and studies are challenged on which they have literally
spent a whole lifetime.
Not so with Nicodemus and
Gamaliel, both Jewish scriptural scholars, who stand out for their openness, to
accepting Jesus Christ as the messiah, based on Jesus’ miracles and teachings.
They were prominent leaders of the Jewish Sanhedrin, the highest religious and
administrative body who unilaterally opposed Jesus teaching and had Jesus
crucified.
John the Baptist, was palpably
excited when he heard, while in prison, about the miracles Jesus was
performing. John had baptized Jesus, proclaiming Him to be "the Lamb of
God." (John 1:29)
Until Jesus started performing the
miracles, John seemed not entirely convinced if Jesus was really the one Isaiah
spoke about “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him”? (Mt
3:3).
The doubt turned to pure joy when
John heard back from his disciples, the works of Jesus. It was the fulfilment
of John’s life’s purpose.
John too felt, as Simeon did, when he
held child Jesus in his arms, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in
peace, as you have promised.” Luke 2:29
John the Baptist did die (a martyr)
soon enough when Herod’s daughter, Salome, instigated by her mother, Herodias,
Herod’s brother Philip’s wife, asked for John’s head on a platter. (Mk 6:14-29)
How do we develop this sense of
openness that we may not miss out on the ‘messiah’? For the ‘messiah’
represents liberation, salvation and eternal life.
“For God has not given us a spirit of
timidity, but of power, love, and self-control.” 2 Tim 1:7
What a powerful promise!
Let’s look at each of the promises
God has bestowed on us: courage and daring; power; love; and of self-control.
1. God has not given us a spirit of
timidity and of fear, but of courage and daring.
Openness requires courage to rethink
deeply held beliefs to attain liberation from all that is holding us back: our
slavish adherence to certain beliefs.
There is a tale told of a stray cat
who would annoy the head of the household every time he sat down for breakfast
which involved a glass of milk among other items. If the table was left
unattended, the cat would drink up the milk.
At breakfast time it was the duty of
the household matron to tie up the cat. The man died, and over generations, the
milk at the table was replaced by coffee, tea and juices.
Three generations later, the house
cat was still tied when the head of the household had his breakfast. It was the
tradition in the household and no one dare ask why it was so, and no one dare
break it.
Traditions have a vice-like hold on
people like nothing else because it has societal approval. Nobody wants to be
the mole who sticks his head out only to be hammered back in as in the game
‘Whack-a-mole’.
“The reasonable man adapts himself to
the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to
himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” George
Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman
2. God has given us a spirit of
power.
Jesus declared, ‘I am the Way, the
Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ John 14:6-7.
In John 14:12 Jesus further adds and the assurances are reinforced in John
15:16, 1 John 5:14 -:
“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever
believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater
things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
We all know Mt 7:7 very well, “Ask
and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be
opened to you.”
But, the key to the above verses lie
in ‘what we ask, and how we ask?’
In Ephesians 2:18, we read, “It is
through Christ that all of us, Jews and Gentiles, are able to come in the one
Spirit into the presence of the Father.”
Therefore, don’t ask for
life-enhancing benefits, but ask for life in Christ that comes with
the bestowing of the Holy Spirit. To be able to speak in tongues. Or as in the
Hebrews Bible, the Jewish people prayed using Psalms (Lamentations,
Ecclesiastes …).
The intent is the same to bring our
petitions through Holy Spirit to Jesus and to God the Father.
The prayer requires deep sincerity
and humility of heart; a complete surrender; and a bubbling and
fervent faith that our prayers will be answered.
It is the Holy Spirit given to the
apostles on Pentecost that gave them ‘power’ to preach boldly.
When Jesus was on earth, “After this
the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to
every town and place where he was about to go. (Luke 10:1).
The seventy-two returned with joy and
said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” (Luke 10:17)
Such is the power, through the Holy
Spirit, that is given to the faithful.
3. God has given us a spirit of love.
Love is the qualifier to power.
Without love, God’s power is easily corrupted and misused. We know of many who
were brought down by hubris – excessive pride and self-confidence – in their
own power.
Such was the power that the apostles
possessed that Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8:9-25 wanted to buy this
power.
Peter admonished Simon. “May your
money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with
money! Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may
forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are
full of bitterness and captive to sin.
Then Simon answered, “Pray to the
Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
4. God has given us a spirit of
self-control.
It is with good reason that
self-control comes last in the four-part empowerment that comes from the Holy
Spirit.
We know power corrupts. And, absolute
power corrupts absolutely. How do we avoid slipping from grace to disgrace?
We need to remind ourselves what St
Paul tell us in Phil 4:8: Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy — think about such things.
Pray for the intercession of the Holy
Spirit with Jesus and God the Father that we may not be victims of a ‘fixed
mindset’.
Not to be enslaved in traditions that
deprive us of life-altering heavenly truths, for us, and for those for whom we
exercise this power.
Power that cannot be bought
but is freely given when asked with the heart and eyes of faith.
Saturday, 02 May 2020
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