Letters to the Snr Apprentice (2)

A reply to the letter from senior apprentice:

Beloved Senior Apprentice,

Since the dawn of me, I have always relished racing against time to accomplish the tasks and duties that were allocated to me. I eagerly looked forward to the sense of achievement that awaits me at the finish line each time I outran the deadline. On top of that, I was rewarded with additional time to accomplish the next task at hand. Naturally, productivity and efficiency became the primary goals in my life. I firmly believed that the quality of life was gauged by the quantity of work one might accomplish in life.

Until recently, nothing much has changed. I still rush through my daily routines and tasks, thinking that speed is the key to a fruitful life. Thus, I always take pride in my rate of efficiency. Yet, your advice has helped me to see a whole new perspective of life. In attempting to complete the task at hand, I have forgotten to enjoy the moment, the process itself. You also helped me to realize that the manner in which the task is being accomplished is equally important as the completion of the task. More importantly, your insight has led me to locate the source of my constant restlessness; for in the pursuit of efficiency, I have sacrificed inner peace.

Truly, life is a dance, and I have been careless in guarding the rhythm of my dance. The immediate task before me is to battle against the inner force within me that is driving me to rush. The battle will not be short, for the force has become an integral part of my life. Yet, this is the battle that I must now engage in, to master the force, or else, to be mastered by it.

I cannot allow myself to be mastered by the force any longer, or else I will end up as a busy and rushing minister, traits that are common among pastors today. I will end up rushing through endless duties, abandoning the inner stillness, forsaking the gracefulness of the dance of life. And I wonder, if I do not know how to dance this dance of life gracefully, how am I going to teach my sheep to dance?

Therefore, dance with me, that I may emulate the rhythm of your graceful dance steps.

Yours sincerely,
Junior Apprentice