What to learn from a stomach ulcer

Sunday, September 25, 2022

Last Monday I was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer. Maybe it’s just a harmless one that heals away within a few weeks. But the doctor was rather pessimistic. We are waiting for the results of the biopsy and computer tomography.

Stomach ulcers are known to be caused by long-term stress. So I started to ask: what can I change in my life? There are several candidates:

• Resign from my job as the Synodal Contact Person. During six months (October 2021 to March 2022) I had been working for it with all my energy and hope, together with more than 20 contributors. It took me three more months to realize that our work had been useless: the sinoditiim simply ignored what I had done. My modus vivendi et operandi didn’t suit them. Actually I abandoned the project already in July (e.g. Saturday, July 23, 2022 (07:16)). I should make it official now.

• Avoid wasting my time and energy explaining things to people who didn’t ask for explanations.

• Stop believing that salvation of the world or the church depends on me.

• Restart having physical communion with other Christians. It will be my way to say “Yes” to the synodal church (see In spiritual communion with the Church and Why I don’t eat with them).

• Reduce my volunteer engagements. Learn to shake the dust off my feet when it is time to do so. Make choices about where to invest my spare time.

• Stop reading news. Uninstall Facebook and Reddit from my phone.