:: St. Stephen's Musings ::

:: Monday, October 04, 2004 ::

Orderly But With Little Inner Substance

Quotes du Jour (props to Wild Violets):

"Orderliness, tidiness, clarity of thinking are not very important in themselves, but they become important to a man who is sensitive, who feels deeply, who is in a state of perpetual inward revolution."

I'm not sure what exactly an "inward revolution" is in context here, but I do think there is something about a clean house/dorm/locker/car/desk or whatnot that is both the fruit of (and the prerequisite for) an orderly soul.

Those who have visited a monastery know that, while the grounds and facilities may not be "up to date", they will always be clean and well-maintained. We talk so often of the virtue of simplicity and pine for it to manifest itself in our spiritual lives. I wonder if it starts with having a clean house...

"In this country, unfortunately, as all over the world, we care so little, we have no deep feeling about anything. Most of us are intellectual--intellectuals in the superficial sense of being very clever, full of words and theories about what is right and what is wrong, about how we should think, what we should do. Mentally we are highly developed, but inwardly there is very little substance or significance; and it is this inward substance that brings about true action, which is not action according to an idea."

Ouch. All too true in the case of your not so humble scribe ....

:: Karl :: 7:26:00 AM [Link] ::