Doing and Being

Last week I began looking over the scriptures for this Sunday's worship and sermon, Luke 9:51-62. It was an interesting passage about Jesus, that  "his face was set toward toward Jerusalem" and then he encountered some eager and reluctant followers.
My take on it, at the time, was to focus on the clarity of focus. Jesus had a clear focus, a priority, that then shaped everything else. I found myself thinking about folks who receive a terminal diagnosis. When you KNOW you are going to die, it changes everything. You have a new appreciation for what is important, and all those things we do that are not so important. That was going to be my direction. I wasn't entirely sure how I would close, with words to a congregation about accepting Jesus' priorities as our own, but I thought I had a good beginning. Then Tuesday came along. My own diagnosis was not of a terminal nature, but it was radical enough to get my attention. Heart disease. Potentially fatal. Major surgery with several weeks for recovery and rehab after that. Life changing. I have had some time to rethink some of my own priorities and to consider what is truly important and what I have been filling my life with that is not so important. Of course, when it's all said and done, I still wonder to what degree will I maintain a clearer focus?

One of my simple thoughts is to reflect on Being and Doing. One morning as I was lying in bed, awake before it was time to get up, my thoughts roled around in philosophical ways. Early morning is a good time to play with philosophy. I'm not awake enough to critique myself and monitor my thinking with regulatory correctness. The thoughts just flow. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, those early morning thoughts will dissipate like the early morning dew as the day progresses. All that is left are residual reflections that are impacted by my more rational self. But here is an attempt to play with those early morning ideas.

Sometimes I can get so busy with life and with DOING that I forget to BE. 

Doing and Being each have their own path.

Doing turns it's attention to tasks.

Being has the task of paying attention.

Doing feels important.

Being feels all.

Doing has successes and failures.

Being sees that success and failure are one and the same.

Doing builds a resume and portfolio.

Being opens to the building of relationship.

Doing creates castles and fortresses and places to be.

Being fills all places with creativity.

Doing wants security but is often insecure.

Being accepts insecurity as the only place that is secure. 

Doing and Being each have their own path.

How do you see this experience of Doing and Being? Feel free to add your reflections in the comments. I would like to hear from you.