The Doctrine of Truth: Rockheads and Axes

From Bk 1, Ch 3 (The Doctrine of Truth) continued, at paragraph 5.

First, I am having to use an electronic version of The Imitation of Christ from Project Gutenberg, as I’m on the road and left my copy at home. Thanks, Project Gutenberg! Once I get home I’ll edit for clarity as the version I use makes the paragraph below a bit easier to understand. Good Thomas starts off with:

5. O if they would give the same diligence to the rooting out of vices and the planting of virtues to which they give unto vain questionings: there would not been so many evil

doings and stumbling-blocks among the laity, nor such ill living among houses of religion.

Thomas gets to the point in paragraph 5 right away with a plea to quit messing around.  We easily become lax in our daily lives.  We prefer to read about helping others rather than actually doing it, but then, to make matters worse, we then brag of our knowledge of all those suffering people (for example). Playing off of paragraph 4 (see last week’s post), we can see a connection between our thoughts and actions, between our words and our deeds. In Matthew, 3:8-10, St. John the Baptist tells the Pharisees that they can’t call themselves Children of Abraham without some evidence of repentance tied up in real efforts, not just scholarly knowledge of the law:

“Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.

And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. “

Bottom line, according to St. John The Baptist: rocks are more deserving of grace than knowledgeable people. At least a rock has a purpose to it and is useful. Rocks aren’t into vain questioning…questioning that shows just how smart we are to the person of whom we are asking the question. Waiting for that praise of “Oh, how insightful!” Maybe we are all rock-heads. Here’s what Thomas is getting at:

Of a surety, at the Day of Judgment it will be demanded of us, not what we have read, but what we have done; not how well we have spoken, but how holily we have lived.

Tell me, where now are all those masters and teachers, whom thou knew well, while they were yet with you, and flourished in learning? Their stalls are now filled by others, who perhaps never have one thought concerning them. Whilst they lived they seemed to be somewhat important, but now no one speaks of them.

This last line reminds me of a song from the 70's by Kansas, called Dust in the Wind. It’s simply presumptuous arrogance to think that what we do day-to-day in our efforts to look important really matter in the scheme of things. Instead of blowing a lot of hot gas, we need to build into people and holy living, says Thomas. I was just trying to recall a single lecture from college. Not to insult my professors, mind you, who I did like and respect, but rather to compare the significance of their words these many years later.

My poor kids will likely not recall any of my many, wisdom filled lectures on a variety of topics. Too bad for them! However, they do recall that I came to their game, coached their soccer, sparred with them at Karate, drew pictures, made clay figures, built chicken coops and so on. Many of these activities are prayerful moments, which is part of what Thomas is getting at here. Not every moment has to be holy-rolling, but planting virtue. We can all do these virtuous things, can’t we? I mean, even if we can’t read or write, we can still build into our kids’ lives or into the lives of our fellow men and women.

Thank you for reading and praying along with me. 'Til next time, be Imitators of Christ!


tim