"There is a passage from the novel A Flag for Sunrise by Robert Stone where the revolutionary priest, Godoy, is described this way:
" 'He fights for the peasants and the Indians because whether he knows it or not, he deeply desires the just rule of the Lord. Probably, he will never realize this . . . But I think unconsciously it is the kingdom of God he fights for.'
"I have a visceral memory of a realization that happened within the past year or two. I don't remember its context — where I was, what I was doing, what specific matter was the occasion for the realization. I remember praying silently that some aspect of my work with Second Journey would contribute in some small way to the 'coming of the Kingdom,' the words we use in the Lord's Prayer. Then, as a postscript, I remember qualifying the sentiment: May I do this good thing. AND may I do it for the RIGHT REASONS. Not because I enjoy the work . . . which I did, immensely. Not because it taps my creativity . . . which it did, immensely. But because it will leave the world a better place.
"Catholic theology, distinguishing between ethics and morality, holds that the merit of an action depends on the intention of the actor:
" 'So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.'
"When we act from a place deeper than ego, from the place of our deepest joy, we come into alignment with the divine spark in us and are absolved from asking further questions."
