If we think about it, even leaving the house in the morning involves a bit of risk because we cannot be completely certain we’ll re-enter it later in the day. Something might happen to deter us that we weren’t expecting at all. Usually we can pretty much expect an easy return just as most of us do not actively seek to put ourselves in harm’s way…unless, of course, we are adrenaline junkies who need a “crisis fix” to remind us we are alive! Again…not a lot of us venture here.
That place in us that is ready to assist...
But then we know of many stories of people who dash out into the street to retrieve a small child toddling into traffic, or people who jump into bodies of water to save someone from drowning, or those who actually do enter burning buildings looking for someone who needs help. It seems that there is that place in us that is ready to assist when needed…hopefully, not every day.
Adjustments and re-thinking...
Some of the biggest risks of all, though, can unfold silently in rational, emotional and spiritual realms. Suppose we were confronted with an entirely new religious belief system, something we had never considered before. This could create fear, uncertainty, revulsion, any number of thoughts and feelings to contend with… or perhaps a beloved child reveals his or her sexual orientation to be very different than ours. What kind of adjustments and re-thinking would this take?
More fully alive when we love...
Can anyone who risks loving another ever feel really secure again? It may be true that we are more fully alive when we love, but we are also at risk for being disappointed or deeply hurt. There are two big “D’s” that wait in the wings for people who love…Death or Deception…and we risk experiencing one or the other sooner or later.
Better gear up...
Hmmm… seems that there are inherent risks in just being alive, even before we go out the front door! Guess we’d better gear up!
http://More Essays About Everything is now available on Amazon
You may also enjoy "On Religion."
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