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| Staircase, Detroit Institute of Arts |
A friend, AW, writes, re. my last post on Dallas Willard: "Consider the possibility that doing what you ought, especially when feeling grouchy/ tired/ apathy/ whatever, can be what God uses to change our minds. For me, sometimes the thinking comes first, but other times the doing comes first was."
This is a relevant comment.
My response was:
My understanding has always been that Willard's idea (which is shared by most if not all Christian contemplatives - Thomas Merton et. al.) is that being precedes doing. This is itself an ontological claim.
For example, I have in the first place an ongoing, sustained relationship with Linda; out of that relationship comes relevant doing.
I don't doubt that doing what one ought to do [viz., what God wants] can be used by God to change our minds. But even here the God-relationship precedes the doing.
