What's the big deal about Theological Reflection? Why is it important? What comes to mind after reading the Catechetical Update entitled, to Know, Love and Serve: The Critical role of Theological Reflection in Catechetics" is what's attributed to Socrates a long time ago, "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Thinking about this, I've come to the conclusion that what I do in respect to loving Jesus I have primarily done because I have been taught by others. It is what I am suppose to do as a faithful servant and family member, a loyal follower of Jesus; follow the footsteps of those who've shown me the way.
I'm now wondering how much of what they did was role-modeled by others. Reason being, when my mother first had her accident and was placed into the rehabilitation hospital in both her delirium and dementia,she stated that she didn't know if she believed. At the time, this was very troubling to me. But, in some of my reading I have come to understand that this is part of the process of aging.
What I can compare my thoughts to is someone working for a company for years. Doing the same thing day in and day out and never questioning it. Rationalizing it in one's mind: it's easy, it's close to home, the pay is good, the health benefits are adequate one never gets to the position of why I'm unhappy until it's retirement time. Yes, soon it's retirement age and one is thinking how much time was spent at a lifetime of not feeling fulfilled. I see myself at a desk in my mind's eye. I think, I loved that company. It never failed me. I worked hard and excelled at what I did. I always received my check on time, it was always accurate and I'm so grateful for the quality of the health insurance provided by the company.
But, what about my personal relationship with Jesus and how can I role-model something haphazardly? How can my personal relationship with Jesus grow if I don't stop to think about how it's going, or even if I am keeping my daily commitment of spending time with Him? Isn't it enough at the end of each day to review what has happened? Isn't that enough?
The answer, there is no answer. One's interactions in the world, with the people one comes across on any given day, the impact can never really be known unless one conducts some type of survey. But one can from one's perspective review decisions, modus operandi, impact on others, relationship to/with self and changes in self. Changes when examined help us to reflect not superficially, but deeper into the psyche of the soul and much more importantly that of the heart.
According to the article and I believe it to be true, following the laws in Theological Reflection will cause problems for my mind, my soul and my heart. I will question what I know I will question my beliefs. I will question my relationships with people. Some things are just accepted and cannot be proven. I will feel off balance with some issues, but the end result with be a more dynamic faith, a more real faith, a deeper and more committed faith which will lead to a more mature faith. That's what I am understanding from this second essay.
Do I have the stamina to withstand such reviews of thoughts, words and actions?
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