Human, fully

August 19, 2009
Let my cry come before you, O God; give me understanding, according to your word. Ps 119:16

Today, I decided to take to heart Barbara Brown Taylor's recommendation. BBT picqued my interest when, on page 117 of An Altar In The World, she talkes about the vocation of becoming fully human.

"Since some people consider being human a liability, and "fully" would only make things worse, I should perhaps explain what I mean. To become fully human means learning to turn my gratitude...into good...to grow gentler toward human weakness...to practice forgiveness of my and everyone else's hourly failures to live up to divine standards..."

I took to heart practicing being human today. I laughed at my colleagues for pushing the rug against my office chair, thus pinning me up against my desk. I thanked the patient who cried about being a burden to her family for sharing her intimate feelings with me. I practiced forgiveness to myself when I committed three classic "Chaplain bloopers" that I could remember, and probably many others that I could not remember.

I'm going to keep practicing being human. Let my cry come before you, O God, and give me understanding.

How are you practicing being human, fully or not?