[T]he word sloth is a narrow translation of acedia, and what acedia meant in medieval understanding according to Thomas Aquinas was a lack of energy to begin new things. It would include cynicism, despair, depression, couch-potatoitis, and so forth.
Zeal, he said, is the opposite of that. Zeal comes from an intense experience of the beauty of things. Rediscovering the beauty of existence, and of our planet, and of our own species – I think this is where we get the energy back. ~Matthew Fox
Behold the beauty to be beheld. Namaste.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Getting the Energy Back
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In contrasting energy with power consider this. Power is conferred from the outside by status, position and financial wealth. It can only be wielded with "sticks" or "carrots." Energy is received on the inside, prompted by spirit. Therefore acedia or sloth is, at base, spirit-less-ness. Zeal, on the other hand is spirit-filled-ness. Power is harder to attain, but energy, the gift of spirit, is more difficult to receive. RCW
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