Aristotle’s philosophy stresses biology, instead of mathematics like Plato. We as humans have distinct built-in patterns of development, similar to what we are discussing here in construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction. (Martin Buber) The understanding we have today of the universal Christ as part of creation is something Aristotle was discussing in his own way, even though the word “Christ’ was not in his vocabulary, Aristotle believed this … saw and experienced the universal Christ and wrote about it in what he called Eudaimonia, which helps us grow toward becoming a fully developed individual. Aristotle enshrines “happiness” as a central purpose of human life and a goal in itself. Happiness for Aristotle was a state of mind, of being a state of OBJECTIVITY, that is seeing life objectively and not subjectively… Essentially, Aristotle argues that virtue is achieved by maintaining the Mean, which is the balance between the two excesses. We again see this in the writing of Viktor Frankl, especially in his “Man’s search for meaning.” Deconstruction all throughout the history of human beings is necessary, we can skip it, pass go, or ignore it. It is a phase required for reconstruction. It is when we face our darkest hours, starring death sometime in the face of all that matters, it is the time when we meet our soul for the first time, it is a time when we in a more or less general inhumane sense of studying-detachment of ourselves from our world, and it is when this happens, we open the door to know the universal Christ, when we meet the Living God, when we come to understand somewhat what it means to be a human being indeed.

The Trinity leads the church planting process. The Trinity is the builder of ‘Discipleship.’ We are all called in our lives to starting and growing churches, creating discipleship. This is the ongoing process of meeting the living God, the Universal Christ.

At times I get complacent in my path of contemplation. It is easy just to sit there, the operative word SIT. But I must remember ‘the call’ just like Paul was called, is a call to action. Make things happen!

In life we encounter three phases:  Construction-Deconstruction-Reconstruction.  All three are necessary for growth.  Oh, if only, if only we could avoid deconstruction, but we can’t, it is not only difficult emotionally, but mentally and physically. It is when we are stripped down to our skivvies, and we now notice we are totally vulnerable, alone, we hear and see others and those trying to help, but it is us, and then we realize we are not alone. It is a time when we recognize what we thought was reality was nothing more than myths expressing reality.

It is a time when we discover human existence implies the experience of who we really are, and that in itself makes us vulnerable, and it is OK because we are in the process of understanding what truth is in our lives. Thus we know the truth by considering a thing of which we possess the truth, and God presents the self. It is here in deconstruction we experience the pre-apprehension itself is the condition of spirit transcending itself toward the infinite being, while still remaining in the world, and this is what tears at our whole person. Thus, deconstruction moves ourself toward nothing, being-toward-death, and that experience opens the door to reconstruction.

“To be a saint means to be me. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is, in fact, the problem of finding out who I am and discovering my true self.” – Thomas Merton