Risk

I came upon this quote today by the early 20th century modernist writer, Katherine Mansfield.

"Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinions of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth."

What a great quote! Many of us know this struggle of forever worrying what others think. I have often noticed how much my feelings of security or insecurity are based on what I think my approval ratings might be at any given moment. This makes acting for yourself and facing the truth, difficult.

In a few days it will be Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. The week begins with shouts of approval as this strange teacher enters the Holy City to cheers and the waving of branches. Popular opinion seems to be high. By the end of the week, the tide has turned, the opinion poll has crashed, and the same crowds are yelling, "Crucify him!"

Jesus stands tall through it all. He doesn't seem to be particularly surprised whether the shouts are "Hosanna!" or "Crucify him!" He is centered in himself, connected to God, and bearing witness to the truth.

Worth pondering. Are you standing tall? Are you risking anything? Are you centered in yourself, connected to God, and bearing witness to the truth?