REFLECTION: ‘We are conditioned, it seems, to imagine that our position (whatever position we are in) is always under some kind of threat. The fear of dragons both describes and fuels this experience. This sense of threat may have its roots in our age-old learning how to survive as early humans. So to break out of this way of thinking will take determination. Nevertheless sometimes, here and there, be dragons. So what is to be done? How can we resist them? Returning fire with fire may occasionally have its place, but the fire of dragons is often best not fought with fire. We want to suggest – with the desert monastics – the possibility of humility as a stance with which to engage the dragons we face…’
PRACTICE: ‘So how do we practice humility? Fighting Dragons, with Humility is a stance, a way of being that we need to learn and to which we commit ourselves until it becomes once again a natural element of our being. But there are some physical actions that we can take to help us find this path and keep on it. A gesture of humility when we meet people can be really important. You’ll need to find your own, but it will be the opposite of the many gestures of power that people make all the time with or without knowing it…’
©Ian Adams 2013 ‘Running Over Rocks: spiritual practices to transform tough times’ (Canterbury Press)
Look out for short daily posts around the week’s theme on Facebook and Twitter. We’ll be doing the practices wherever we are, and we’ll look forward to hearing how you get on – do let us know!