Enlight-en'd

the age of enlightenment, a cultural movement by intellectuals in the 18th century, gave rise to the popularity of deism, where one believes in the existence of a divine authority, accepts the righteous practices that the doctrine calls for, but rejects the divine authority of a God that acts in supernatural and miraculous ways. Jesus was merely seen as a moral teacher.

i can totally imagine a bunch of intellectuals in the room, discussing about the practicality and goodness of righteousness in religiosity to improve civil society, yet dispelling the idea of God moving in supernatural ways. after all, belief in anything beyond would probably have marked suicide of their social capital and intellectual credibility.

this was the account of Benjamin Franklin who embarked on a project of attaining "moral perfection": 

I wish'd to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason. I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent our slipping; and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct. 

He then came up with 13 virtues, with intention to "acquire habitude" of all these virtues.

I made a little book, in which I allotted a page for each of the virtues. I rul'd each page with red ink, so as to have seven columns, one for each day of the week, marking each column with a letter for the day. I cross'd these columns with thirteen red lines, marking the beginning of each line, and in its proper column, I might mark, by a little black spot, every fault I found upon examination to have committed respecting that virtue upon that day..

My list of virtues contain'd at first but twelve; but a Quaker friend having kindly informed me that I was generally thought proud; that my pride show'd itself frequently in conversation; that I was not content with being in the right when discussing any point, but was overbearing, and rather insolent, of which he convinc'd me by mentioning several instances; I determined endeavouring to cure myself, if I could, of this vice or folly among the rest, and I added Humility to my list, giving an extensive meaning to the word. 

I cannot boast of much success in acquiring the reality of this virtue, but I had a good deal with regard to the appearance of it. I made a rule to forbear all direct contradiction to the sentiments of others, and all possitive assertion of my own. I even forbid myself, agreeably to the old laws of our Junto, the use of every word or expression in the language that imported a fix'd opinion, such as certainly, undoubtedly, etc., and I adopted, instead of them, I conceive, I apprehend, or I imagine a thing to be so or so; or it so appears to me at present. When another asserted something that I thought an error. I deny'd myself the pleasure of contradicting him abruptly, and of showing immediately some absurdity in his proposition; and in answering I began by observing that in certain cases or circumstances his opinion would be right, but in the present case there appear'd or seem'd to me some difference, etc... 

In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.

the most painful piece i've ever read of some one's attempt to be righteous as an end in itself, just to be perfect for the sake of it. 

i think the point at the end of the day really isn't about whether he attained his defined perfection, or the questionable moral compass that he used to define perfection, or the fact that despite all that discipline his essay still bled self-righteousness, but really- drawing parallels of the situation back then to modern day christianity,

1)  are we using the spiritual habits and conceptions about God of the people around us as a yardstick to box up our perceptions of walking right with the Lord? 
2) do we imagine transformation of our lives to be the rational conditioning of habits, or do we stake our lives on the belief that He has a part to play in this, empowering us by the Spirit and changing our hearts to be pure, through and through?
3) and more importantly, what is our heart for wanting to attain the perfection of Jesus?

--

some thing struck me the other day while poring a book over a busride. what makes a disciplined person, and what makes a disciple?

in the words of John Orterg, "a disciplined person is someone who can do the right thing at the right time in the right way with the right spirit.", but a disciplined follower of Jesus, a disciple, is not someone "who has mastered the disciplines and never misses a daily regimen of spiritual exercise. A disciplined follower of Jesus is someone who discerns when laughter, gentleness, silence, healing words, or prophetic indignation is called for, and offers it promptly, effectively, and lovingly."

wow. 

when i read that, that was there and then that i realised what it means to be Christ-like. not attempting to be righteous through our means in hopes that the standards of righteousness could reach that of Jesus Christ's, but in seeking to know that heart of Christ- sharing His burdens and pains and sorrows and joys, taking on that cross, and in the process, attaining righteousness because the intentions of the hidden heart overflows into every aspect of our lives. so at the end of the day, righteousness is the spillover effect of attaining the heart of Christ, not the other way around.

and no human discipline or strength, but Love for you can make me run this race as Your good and faithful servant, because only Your love can make me whole. You're not a human-created concept of divinity with limitations, but the all powerful, omnipotent God, and Your son the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)

so the real question, perhaps, is this: do we love Jesus enough?