onthly MeditationMeditation for September 2008
Gentleness is the penultimate—the second last fruit of the Spirit as listed by St. Paul in his epistle to the Galatians: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In this month of September, 2008 we will meditate on gentleness, the eighth spiritual fruit.
To me, gentleness conjures up an image of soft hands, a light touch, and a quiet word. Gentleness soothes our restlessness, our pains, and our disquiet. A person who has a spirit of gentleness accepts us as we are and transforms our ugliness and harshness into beauty and softness. In the presence of a gentle spirit, we do not have anything to prove and therefore we lose our bombast and haste; our caustic tone and sarcasm. The gentle spirit, in whose presence we sit, is mirrored in our own persons and is enabled to grow in our own souls. The spirit of gentleness does not seek for itself any recognition or glory; it longs only for the other person’s healing and ease.
We usually do not place gentleness at the top of our list of spiritual fruit to cultivate because we often misinterpret gentleness as being weak. Even those of us who are trying to live as Christians may think that if we show gentleness of spirit we may be seen as losers in life’s game. Above all, we want to win.
Gentleness, in fact, is a strong and vibrant spiritual fruit at its maturity; it is full of healing, caring, understanding, and compassion. The spiritual fruit of gentleness is able to come to maturity in a person who understands and forgives herself; the spiritual fruit of gentleness comes to full growth in the person who is first gentle with her own pain and disquiet, whether these are of body, mind, or spirit.
Each one of the fruit of the spirit is beautiful to behold. The spiritual fruit of gentleness gives off a quiet and peaceful beauty unlike any of the others. It waits in the shade of the Spirit until its refreshment is needed then its soft, perfumed balm pervades the air with its health and wholeness.
© Judith Lawrence September 2008
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