A Retraction
In a previous post I suggested that people are like campfires; cozy in a relationship at the proper distance... Get too close, and you might get burned. I've rethought that position and here is my the result of my ponderation: When a person has reached his or her full potential as a spiritual being, one should be able to stand in the middle of the figurative campfire without harm. Shadrack, Meshack and Abidnago all stood in the midst of a firey furnace and came out without harm. Not a hair of their heads was singed. On an emotional and spiritual level, is it not possible, then, to figuratively stand within the flames of a relationship and not be burned when the one with whom one relates is offensive? I feel very sure it must be possible to relate in a Christlike manner to someone who is unkind, rude, and sarcastic. My method until now has been to back away from such people, and to not relate to them very closely. For general acquaintances, this may be acceptable, however, when deal...