Over the years I have forgotten so much of what my teachers and professors taught me. One of the things that any number of my professors in the seminary stressed was “The Golden Middle Way.” This I have not forgotten about and have reflected on again and again for many years.
Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, called it the “Meden Agan”. It is the desirable middle between two extremes, the one of excess and the other of deficiency. For example, in the view of Aristotle, courage is a virtue, but if it is taken to excess, it would manifest itself as recklessness, and if deficient, as cowardice.
With all that is happening in my own life and especially in the world around me, I often find myself searching for “The Golden Middle Way”, the “Meden Agan.” —
A person who calls himself frank and candid can very easily find himself or herself becoming tactless and cruel. Sometimes I find my comments to other people are becoming too pointed and are leaving the other person speechless and with hurt feelings,
A person who prides himself on being tactful can eventually discover that she or he has become evasive and deceitful. When people ask me about hot-button issues like inflation or politics, I can become evasive or deceitful so as to not stick up for Gospel truths.
A person with firm convictions can become pigheaded. So often I don’t wait for the other person to even finish their thought. I don’t begin to listen to what they are saying, and I interrupt them over and over.
A person who is inclined to be temperate and judicious can sometimes turn into someone with weak convictions. I listen to fellow priests discussing the challenges of parish life today and I hear them say, “Boy, I am I glad I’m retired and don’t have to deal with that!” I wonder if that is “me too?” I thought I was ordained to be “a priest forever!” no matter what.
Loyalty can lead to fanaticism. I witness people loyal to a politician and they have turned fanatical. I witness Christians turned fanatical, quoting the Bible and condemning others for various reasons. And I ask myself, “What am I PASSIONATE about, not fanatical? Where do I put my PASSION into action?”
Caution can become timidity. My peripheral neuropathy has made me cautious and timid and I am always afraid that I will fall. Like a spiritual cancer, my timidity spreads to many other parts of my life.
Freedom can become license. I got a fairly clean bill of health from my annual checkup. So I continue to eat foods that I know are not good for me. I get past a health scare, and I then spend too much time on the computer or watching TV and not reflecting, reading the Bible or praying.
Confidence can become arrogance. One of my projects or one of my ideas really goes over big and takes off. Boy, can I become arrogant and broadcast my success to the world!
All of these are ways in which strength can become weakness. And weakness can become strength.
Have any of YOUR Virtues or Strengths become troublesome for YOU?
GIVE GOD YOUR WEAKNESS AND GOD WILL GIVE YOU HIS STRENGTH!!
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