Today, I am struggling with something I have been dealing with for a long time; an inexplicable irritation with humanity in general. I recognize that I have anger issues. This is something I have been fighting for years and years. I have made a lot of headway with meditation, Tai Chi, prayer, and a dedication to trying to be come a less angry person. I tend to go off on ranting tangents because it helps me to reflect upon my thoughts, organize my feelings, and articulate the nature of my current "problem" with the world or certain people. However, there are times when I see injustices-either directly in front of me, or in the world at large-which just get me so worked up that all I can do is despair at the state of humanity, the depth of our hatred towards one another, and smolder about it.
I wanted so much to write up a post today articulating my current irritation. But in the middle of doing so, I was suddenly reminded of John Wesley and went about looking for one of my favorite sermons from him called "Catholic Spirit" (referring to the definition of "catholic" as universal). It's kind of funny how sometimes all it takes is a clear head and a fresh perspective and the worries of the world can disappear. I also think that I've finally discovered something that will help me with my anger problems in the future: just having good literature to refer to does wonders.
Since I am nowhere near articulate enough to emulate John Wesley, I want to share a link to this sermon with anyone who reads this blog. I hope you take the time to read it, meditate on it, and take it to heart. I can only imagine what the world would be like with a little more catholic spirit and a little less hostility...it's something I still need to work on.
http://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-39-catholic-spirit/
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