At this point I would like to review what I have been sharing with you about the call to holiness. Each person’s journey toward God is unique. But the common element of every journey, if it is to succeed, is the need to review and examine one’s life on a regular basis. At first, most people are very enthusiastic about the journey. They feel strong and energized by their desire for a more intense spiritual life. Then, as the way becomes obscure and obstacles block the path, their resolve weakens. They grow weary of living up to their initial commitment, or practicing new patterns of behavior and ways of thinking. With all of the stimulation and chaos around us in this modern world, it is easy to become distracted – easy to begin adopting the attitudes of our society, fearing those who threaten our way of life and generalizing our hatred for others who are not like us or who, we believe, threaten to harm us. Stereotyping seems to come easily to us humans – generalizing to entire populations of people from our experience with one or just a few persons in a population. This weariness creates frustration and can eventually lead to giving up entirely the journey. But if people take the time to review and examine their lives on a regular basis, they can discover ways of dealing with their weariness and find the strength they need to persevere in the journey.
This review and self-examination should not be limited to faultfinding. While it is important to identify the obstacles blocking our path, it is just as important to realize how much we have traveled. The basic question in our review should not be “Where have we failed?” but “How much have we loved?” By asking ourselves the right question, we can get a much better picture of just where we are on our journey. When our answers lead to the discovery of unconverted areas in our lives, we can humbly ask for God’s healing grace and continue on living the great and mysterious gift God has given us.