What path should I choose to live today? How can I discern a direction? How can I link my decisions to the values that are important to me?
Sooner or later life
confronts us with
situations that raise questions like these - questions about the
meaning, purpose and value of our lives.
Life Experience invites us to reflect. In earlier, simpler times,
individuals received answers to such questions from the local
community and
from their religious tradition.
Our situation is different. The challenges confronting us in our
globalised world demand that we reflect thoughtfully and
critically to make
our own the answers traditionally given to us by our local
communities
and religious traditions.
Theological Reflection is one way of doing this.
Reflection is the act of deliberately slowing down our usual processes of interpreting our lives to take a closer look at the experience. It takes courage because it makes us vulnerable in two ways:
Theological Reflection
is the process of
seeking meaning that relies on the rich heritage of Christian
tradition as a primary source of wisdom and guidance.
Theological Reflection can and should include: Social
Analysis of the issue or experience being reflected on.
For people concerned with the interplay between issues of our world today and the gospel the following diagram suggests a model that could be useful.
The Word
Through reflecting on the Word we seek to realize the kingdom of justice, peace and love by understanding and applying the mentality of Christ to the reality of our own environment
The World
In interpreting the world through reflection on the Word, we seek to "read the signs of the times," by reflecting on the world as it is. We seek to hear the cries of the people , the voice of the powerless.
Action
The nature of our reflection on the World and the Word will depend upon the nature of the ACTION with where it is concerned. Action which is involved in seeking greater justice and peace in our world recognises the structural nature of society. By doing so action is directed at the political, economic and cultural forces which mould the society.
The actions taken then lead us to further analysis, reflection and action.
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