Above all, trust in the slow work of God… Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Patient Trust
Topic: Spiritual Growth & Practice
Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—
and that it may take a very long time.And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a French Jesuit priest, paleontologist, theologian, philosopher, and teacher. He was born on May 1, 1881, in Sarcenat, France. He studied geology and paleontology at the University of Paris, and was ordained a priest in 1911.
During World War I, Teilhard served as a stretcher bearer on the front lines. He was decorated for his bravery, and his experiences in the war led him to develop a new understanding of the relationship between science and religion. He believed that evolution was a process of spiritual as well as biological transformation, and that humanity was evolving towards a final spiritual unity. He coined the term "Omega Point" to describe this final spiritual unity.
After the war, Teilhard taught at the Catholic Institute of Paris. He also traveled to China, where he participated in the discovery of Peking Man. In the 1930s, he traveled to other parts of Asia, including the Gobi Desert, Sinkiang, Kashmir, Java, and Burma.
Teilhard's writings were controversial, and he was not allowed to publish his work in the Catholic Church until after his death. However, his ideas have since been published and translated into many languages. His ideas have been praised by some for their insights into the relationship between science and religion, but they have also been criticized by others for being too optimistic or even heretical.
Teilhard de Chardin was a brilliant and passionate thinker, and his work continues to be influential and thought-provoking. He was a pioneer in the field of evolutionary theology, and his ideas have helped to shape the way we think about the relationship between science and religion.
Chardin, Pierre Teilhard de. "Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be. Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete. "The Making of a Mind: Letters from a Soldier-Priest 1914-1919, Harper & Brothers, 1961.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Theme: Spiritual Growth
About This Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Quote [Commentary, Part 1]
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a Jesuit priest, paleontologist, and philosopher who lived from 1881 to 1955. He was a visionary thinker who wrote extensively on the evolution of the universe, the human race, and consciousness.
In his poem “Patient Trust,” Teilhard de Chardin offers us a profound reflection on the nature of spiritual growth. He begins by acknowledging our natural impatience. We want to reach the destination quickly, without having to go through the intermediate stages. But Teilhard reminds us that spiritual growth is a process, and it takes time.
He compares spiritual growth to the maturation of an idea. Our ideas need time to develop and take shape. We can’t force them to grow faster than they’re ready to grow. In the same way, we can’t force our spiritual growth to happen ahead of schedule.
Teilhard then offers us a word of encouragement. He tells us that God is with us on our journey. God is leading us, even if we don’t always feel like it. And God knows what he is doing. He is gradually forming a new spirit within us.
About This Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Quote [Commentary, Part 2]
Teilhard de Chardin’s invitation to trust in the slow work of God is a challenge in our fast-paced world. We are constantly bombarded with messages telling us that we need to be more successful, more productive, and more efficient. But Teilhard reminds us that there is more to life than achieving our goals.
Spiritual growth is not about becoming perfect or reaching a certain level of achievement. It is about becoming more fully who we are meant to be in God’s eyes. And that takes time.
So how do we trust in the slow work of God? Here are a few suggestions:
Accepting the Anxiety of Feeling Incomplete
Teilhard de Chardin also acknowledges that spiritual growth can be anxiety-provoking. We may feel incomplete and in suspense. We may not always know where we are going or what God is asking of us.
But Teilhard reminds us that this is part of the process. We are not meant to have all the answers. We are simply meant to be faithful to the path that God has placed us on.
So how do we accept the anxiety of feeling incomplete? Here are a few suggestions:
Conclusion
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s invitation to trust in the slow work of God is a call to patience, humility, and faith. It is a reminder that we are on a journey, and that God is leading us. It is also a reminder that it’s okay to feel incomplete and unsure at times.
As Teilhard de Chardin writes in his poem:
So let us trust in the slow work of God, and allow him to form us into the people he created us to be.
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