Since I promised you the last word I will leave you with words not from me to reflect upon...
While I recognize your 'attempt to appear' to remain true to your statement, offering up someone else's words was an end run, and we both know it.
You did not give me the last word. You gave a third party the last word, namely Saint John the Solitary.
I did not ask you to give me the last word. For myself, I am not unhappy that you didn't give it to me. I am not unhappy that you provided the words of a good man to guide or inform. I merely think it is important that we be honest with ourselves as well as one another. I will admit to being saddened for you, to see you be dishonest with yourself, to not do something you stated you would.
Be attentive to the thoughts of the mind. If some evil thought passes through you, do not get upset, for it is not the transient thoughts of your mind that the knowledge of the Lord of all observes, rather He looks at the depths of the mind to see if you take pleasure in that evil thought which resides there; for hateful thoughts float over the surface of the mind, but it is the senses that are lower down which can chase away hateful thoughts, which the Lord of all examines. He does not judge what just passes over the mind, but rather the thoughts that are lower down than those hateful ones, namely those which appear in the depths of the mind, which can drive them away with its hidden hand. For He does not pardon the thoughts which spring up from the depth of the mind, for it is they which should be chasing away those which pass over the surface of the mind; He judges those thoughts which have a passage into the heart.-Saint John the Solitary
It is my take that this was probably written long ago. It is my take that it was probably written by a person cloistered off alone, or in a group of others dedicated to pondering religious matters. It is my take that it was written by a good person, doing their honest best to think of man operating on the highest moral plane. And I'm reasonably sure it was in correlation with communing with God through prayer. I don't have anything negative to say about these thoughts or others like them. I do however wonder if at times even the best of people can be so focused on good, that they lose sight of what will be relevant and instructional to the average man.
It is the aveage man that needs to benefit from moral declarations like this. They need to be able to incorporate these tenets into their own lives. And with regard to that, it seems to me that simplicity counts. These words were probably written in a time when most of the populace couldn't read, and wouldn't have had any clear access to them. Even so, the length of the sentences and rambling nature add complexity to ideas that are fairly simple and clean cut.
What I am left contemplating, is whether this was truly beneficial to his fellow man circa the writing of these works. If written in solitude, it seem these writings were more self-gratifying than for the edification of others, at least in the period when they were written. Even then, I am not going to attach any evil motive or weight to it. I make no judgment other than to ponder the matter. I still think this man was a good man, and had the best of intentions.
From my observations in life, I have determined that once a person focuses on a cause, there is a danger of becoming obsessive in that cause. People advocating on behalf of the environment, run the risk of going to the extreme. People who think women should have a choice, lose sight of anything else. Many people who think there should be far less animals destroyed for food, somehow make the choice to avoid any animal byproducts at all. If you ask them why, many can't even give you a reason. They were somehow convinced it was the right thing to do, without justification they can relate.
I want to be respectful here, but I do not believe that religion is free from the gravity of this pull towards focused extremity. That is why I have never been particularly supportive of cloistered lives. I am not particularly supportive of lives given over totally in every aspect to a good cause, even religion. Yes, live a good Godly life, and in that I agree to do it fully. I support that. But witnessing to your community is every bit as important as going off somewhere, cutting yourself off from higher levels of civilization, and living every moment in poverty. Being a good husband, a good father, a good member of the community, is every bit as important as any task God gives us.
I do not believe that this world would be a better place if everyone quit work, sold off everything they owned, and went off to the mission field never to be heard from again. Doing a tour through a mission field? Fine. I'm all for it. Totally emersing yourself there for the rest of your life? No.
Charity? I'm all for it. Totally emersing yourself in that work for the rest of your life? No.
I say this, because our civilization would collapse under that type of plan. Scientific study that benefits each of us would cease to exist. Advancements in Medicine would cease to exist. Advanced medical provision to the masses would cease to exist. Provision of food for the masses would cease to exist. Higher levels of civilized existence would cease to exist. The negatives of this would far outweigh the nice things that could be accomplished by volunteering the rest of our lives to pockets of the poor in unpaid servitude.
If this model were the right one, then everyone should do it. If it were the right one, no harm would come. If that were to take place, and undeniable damage would be done to very important aspects of today's civilization would materialize, then that cannot be God's plan. God is good. Evil, bad things, do not emerge from His overall plan for man.
Slavery to our fellow man is not an aspect of God's overall game plan for humanity.
Where I have a problem with the quote from you above, is what might have caused you to present it to me.
If between two friends tying to edify each other, I think it has merit. If presented in a simpler form to a congregation or study group, I'm all for it. It could obviosly be instructional. If cut and pasted as a tool to convict someone, I think it is being used as a weapon rather than a beacon.
It's my take that you have once again placed yourself in a position of judgment, and recognizing that I myself am doing the same thing by responding in this manner, I'll leave it to you to search your soul and determine what to make of this.
I am releasing you from your promise to give me the last word. If you don't wish to continue this discussion, I will repsect your decision.