The late and renowned Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, asks: “You’re holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps you, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee? You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea. The point is whatever is inside the cup is what will spill out. Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which will happen), whatever is inside you will come out. [ref. also Mt 15:11] It's easy to fake it until you get rattled. So we have to ask ourselves, “What’s in my cup? When life gets tough, what spills out?” Joy, gratefulness, peace, humility? Or does anger, bitterness, harsh words and reactions come out? You choose! Today, work toward filling your cup with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation, kindness, gentleness, and love for others.” [ref. also Gal 5:22-23]I’m not always at my best when life rattles me, but the way I at least try to think about this and practice it is this: I will respond to…
- bitterness with kindness
- spite with compassion
- fury with peace
- disingenuousness with graciousness
- deceit with honesty
- betrayal with forgiveness
- maliciousness with joy
- woundedness with healing
- darkness with light
Marc Vance
Associate Rector
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