Jim Cogley: Reflections – Tues 21st Jan – Mon 27th Jan 2025
Tues 21st Jan – The Power of Words
Not so long ago in postings we looked at the power of words to create our reality. This is a theme worth exploring further. Often, we can look back on our lives and see how a single word has influenced our entire life. Many years ago, a young woman left Ireland for the UK and ended up on the streets of London working as a prostitute. This continued for nearly a decade and against all the odds she managed to extricate herself from that way of life and secured a normal job. To the delight of her family, she returned home and was reunited. Someone, to whom her former lifestyle was known, acknowledged how difficult it must have been for her to get her life in order and asked her what was it that had saved her. She said that upon leaving home her father asked her to promise him that once every week she would treat herself to something nice. Even when things were at their worst, she was true to her promise, and so while the flame of her self-esteem flickered it never quite went out, and she eventually came home to herself. She attributed this to her father’s farewell words so many years earlier.
Wed 22nd Jan – Spreading the Word
From this coming February I will have been writing words in the form of postings for the past five years. That’s a heck of a lot of words, especially when it was only expected to happen for a few months. These words, reflections, postings, call them what you like, have a life of their own and many reports come in to say that someone received them at precisely the time they were most needed or when a crisis was at its worst. There have been times when they even made the difference between whether someone chooses to live or to die. To those of you who receive them regularly, don’t ever underestimate the power of the right word at the right time. While a few may receive them only for their own edification. I think that most have a sense of service and how they can also be used for the benefit of others and so have created their own list of recipients. In this way the word goes forth and there is no knowing where they end up, what lives are touched, or how many thousands receive them.
Thurs 23rd Jan – A life-giving word
Many a life changing word is spoken without the person who gave it even having any recollection. Such has been my own experience. I recently wrote a book called When I Loved Myself to commemorate a word spoken by a fellow student fifty years ago that became life transforming. It was during a time of crisis when I could easily have left the seminary, he saw my distress and simply said, ‘Jim you have never learned to love yourself.’ To some that word might not mean very much but to me it has sustained me in life and ministry for half a century. When I met that individual recently to thank him and present him with some copies, I asked him if he had any recollection of ever giving that message to me. I was somewhat disappointed to hear that his memory of it was vague whereas for me it was as real as if it were yesterday. For a seed to bear fruit the right soil is all important. Back at that moment it was the right seed for the right soil.
Fri 24th Jan – Consequences of the critical word
The dictator Joseph Stalin is regarded as one of the greatest tyrants of all time who almost redefined cruelty. An interesting detail in one of his biographies makes mention of him once being an altar boy. During this time something happened, words were spoken that were to point his life in a particular direction with a vehement hatred of God and religious practice. Once while serving Mass, he tripped and accidentally dropped a set of ornate cruets that were used for holding water and wine. After Mass the priest gave him a terrible telling off, called him names and boxed his ears. Literally his ears were to remain ringing for the rest of his life as that incident defined the direction he would take from there on. Very likely the priest hardly remembered what happened years earlier but what an eye opener awaited him when he passed over and found himself accountable for his words and deeds.
Sat 25th Jan – Consequences of the kind word
In contrast to what happened Joseph Stalin as a child, and the long-term consequences of the negative word, the following story is told as it is remarkable similar but with a different outcome.
It relates to one of the greatest churchmen of the last century, Archbishop Fulton Sheen. He was renowned for his use of radio and inspirational preaching. During his lifetime he changed the lives of millions. In his autobiography he speaks of what influenced him the most and inspired him to become a priest. He, like Joseph Stalin, was once an altar server and he likewise had a mishap while carrying the cruets of water and wine. They crashed to the floor and once back in the sacristy he expected to find himself in trouble. To his surprise there was no blaming or scolding, instead, the priest was the essence of kindness and reassured him that it was a genuine mistake that could just as easily have happened to him. That incident he attributed to being the great turning point in his life, he wanted to be like that man who had shown such kindness, and that was what he became. For a lifetime he lived the power of the positive word.
Sun 26th Jan – Jubilee
In his hometown of Nazareth, the people had heard about Jesus being baptised by John and the miracles he performed in Capernaum. So, when he returned home, they all flocked to the synagogue to meet him. It was his custom to go there for the Sabbath celebrations and when the time for the reading came, they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. All eyes were fixed on him as he unrolled the scroll and read how the prophet had foretold of a jubilee year or a year of favour. He then rolled up the scroll and said this text is being fulfilled today.
This year that Gospel is particularly relevant since as you probably know Pope Francis has called for 2025 to also be a Year of Jubilee. The last one was in the year 2000. To get some insight to what this Jubilee Year means we need to go back to the OT where on God’s instructions in the Book of Leviticus the priests of the Temple were to sound a horn called a Jobel to mark the beginning of the year. This was to be a special year to bring about a new level of justice and equity in the land. It was to avoid the ever-growing gap between the rich and poor, the haves and the have-nots. It’s no different in the world of today, and so much worse than then, with 5% of the world’s population having access to 95% of the world’s resources. All of us here in this part of Ireland are very high up that ladder ourselves and probably fail to realise how lucky we are.
Back in those ancient times slavery was the norm and all the big households had slaves. They had no rights and could be bought and sold to the highest bidder. During a Jubilee Year which happened every 50 years, slaves were to be given their freedom and their human dignity was to be recognised. During that time debts were to be forgiven and written-off. It’s hard to imagine the banks being too happy with that but this year you will hear calls for the rich nations to cancel or reduce the crippling debt of the poorer ones that prevent them from developing. Along with this, all land was to be given back to its rightful owners. In other words, there was to be no squatters’ rights. This was to be a year of grace that God would look on with favour.
The bishop was already on to me to book one of the Sundays during Pilgrimage to highlight this year of Jubilee. It’s very easy for us to forget that the resources of this world are meant for all and not the chosen few so at a practical level how might we do our bit to enter into the spirit of this year of Jubilee? The people of Nazareth were on the oppressed side and so welcomed this announcement with excitement and hope. However, we’re not, and we can only hear it as a challenge.
The theme of forgiveness is central to the Jubilee so if for some years we have been imprisoning ourselves with mistakes and regrets we might consider letting go of such unnecessary guilt.
To have held something against someone for years is to have kept them in our debt. We might approach this year with the intention of releasing that debt and practicing forgiveness. At a practical level we may have given someone a loan and they never paid it back or even afforded us the courtesy of coming to us and saying they were struggling to pay off the debt. That is felt like a double insult where not only is the debt not repaid but is not even acknowledged. Worse again is where that person falls out and stops talking to you as a way of justifying not repaying the debt. In the spirit of the Jubilee and to incur Gods favour we might consider no longer holding that against them, even if it means going that extra mile. We all know of wealthy people who will go for the last ounce of flesh of someone who is poor and think they are quite entitled to do so. Legally they are entitled, but from a Christian perspective I don’t think so.
The Jubilee is all about more equality between rich and poor and this is where we all can play our part. Many elderly who are quite well-off will justify their lack of generosity on the basis that everything will be left to their children even if in their hearts they know the children already have full and plenty. In a few year’s time we will all be forced to let go of everything so why not get some practice and start practicing generosity in a manner that is substantial and not just calculated to ease your conscience. Why not be realistic and keep a journal of how much you give and if you haven’t given away at least 10% of your annual income at the end of the year then do what a principal in Bridgetown School used to say, stand in front of the mirror and have an interview with yourself.
We will be hearing more of this as the year develops but try to give it some practical focus for your own life because in the end the Jubilee is about kind deeds that make a difference.
Mon 27th Jan – The lifelong legacy of the negative word
In counselling work, I often hear what amount to horror stories of words that were spoken to people as children or teenagers. So often these terrible things said became internalised to the point of having defined that person’s entire life. It reminds me of a tourist in Pakistan who saw several elephants tethered by the foot with a small rope to a peg in the ground. He asked how this could be the case, considering the enormous strength of the animals. He was told that as baby elephants the rope was sufficient but as they grew older and stronger, they still thought like baby elephants and remained tied to their post. So many adults go through their entire lives still bound by something said in a moment of anger by a parent or teacher. It wasn’t the truth at the time, but it did become their truth and even shaped their destiny.