Love, Logic and Reality: Thoughts about Marguerite Porete         I've been briefly exploring the writings of Marguerite Porete, a 14th Century French contemplative.  Now come on, don't glaze over on me.  Marguerite wrote a book called "The Mirror of Simple Souls, and Those Who Only Remain In Will and Desire of Love" (Catchy titles like this really worked back then).  Marguerite focused her teaching on love, faith and seeking a proper place for our intellect as we follow Christ.  She spoke about suffering, and humility, and how a true relationship with God transcends both reason and rituals.  She apparently encouraged and equipped thousands of "plain folks" to find a 24/7 personal walk with Jesus, a walk far beyond Sunday Masses.       "The Mirror" was, some think, a response - maybe even a reaction - to Thomas Aquinas' then-recent "Summa Theologiae," a massive work that relied heavily on Aristotelian reasoning to explain, develop and defend the position of the Church on various matters.       I'd enjoy studying Marguerite Porete exhaustively, but even a sampling of her work makes her position clear... "Even Reason witnesses That Love and Faith make her live And she does not free herself from them, For they have lordship over her, Which is why she must humble herself Humble, then, your wisdom Which is based on Reason, And place all your fidelity In those things which are given By Love, illuminated through Faith."         Paul said similar things, didn't he?        1 Cor. 8:1 Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.       Gal 5:6b The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.       1 Cor. 2:6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.        As it turns out, on June 1, 1310, Reason demanded that Marguerite Porete be branded a heretic and burned at the stake.  As she was roasted over a stack of her own writings, she spoke nothing in her defense.  Had a few copies of "The Mirror" not escaped the eyes of the Inquisition, her gentle insights might have been silenced for the ages.       How do reason and faith fit together?  It's an age-old battle.       This I DO know: "He has told you, O Man, what is good.  And what has the Lord required of you but this: That you do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)  We will only understand justice and embrace kindness to the degree that we walk humbly with our God.  This is Spirit-filled living, the tranforming work of Christ in us.        I'm convinced of this reality: apart from Christ's presence and impact in our lives, we are utterly incapable of any Love OR Logic that's pleasing to Him.       Guess I'm with Marguerite on this one. Blessings, Phil