Hope

Hopefully the measures taken in Akko will bring some calm back there. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1222017501207&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull I had a bad feeling in my bones that something would happen, so when a friend asked me to go to another monastery yesterday to visit, I said no because I felt something was going to happen. I didn't want to go out. Luckily it wasn't here in Jerusalem but miles away in Akko.

I was really deep into my research yesterday - had an aweful headache as a result. And a terrible hunger. Couldn't sleep last night so I did some brushup on my German grammar till about 11pm before I slept. The nights are cold. Will have to wear longs to keep warm now. As a sort of cooling off my headache, I did some "gardening" ( 4 boxes) with the Dean. We pruned the geraniums for winter.

Yesterday I was sharing with some people about this Sunday's readings. It's always bothered people why the guy was kicked out of the wedding party because he wasn't dressed right, when he was originally pulled in from the streets and therefore naturally wasn't dressed for the occasion. Well I think we should focus more on those who DID remain (practically everyone else) in order to resolve this irksome and apparently unreasonable action. All the rest of the people pulled off the streets remained for the party, meaning they were probably dressed for the occasion. How come? because they nursed the hope of being invited, and therefore were dressed in preparation. They were originally not invited; but "not invited" is not equal to "not having hope in being invited". They hoped to be invited and dressed up appropriately according to the hope they had. And when the unexpected happened - they were invited - their hope was fulfilled and they were ready. Now the guy that got kicked out didn't have any hope in himself or in others. He didn't bother dressing because he never hoped to be invited. So I think what we should be doing is what the rest of the people did - have hope even though things do not appear to go our way. Behave and prepare as if this hope is already fulfilled, and it will.