The Mindful Christian
May 6th, 2009 by Brian Robertson
Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
We were created by God to be an example of His love and we are challenged to be visible symbols of that divine love. Transformation is a vehicle that carries us to the Kingdom of God. Our loving nature allows us to look deeply at our beloved and those around us. The peace in our heart gives us the ability to let go of our misperceptions. We look at others and know that there is deep suffering in them. We are able to be with them without blame, shame, or judgment. As we look deeply and begin to understand the nature of pain in those around us, we are able to be there with them in their place of suffering. We offer them our true presence with love and with kindness.
Loving-kindness is a gentle spirit that whispers healing into the lives of others. Loving-kindness transforms who we are in this very moment.
Hear the bell of God calling.
Breathing in, I feel loving-kindness.
Breathing out, I give love.The Mindful Christian
By Diane Strausser
All of this makes me recall one of my favorite quotes from one of the great Christian Mystics, Julian of Norwich:
“Our wounds become the womb.”
Anger breeds more anger. Violence begets violence. Greed moves the line, pushes it, and opens the door to more greed which, because of our interdependence in life, ripples throughout our civilization (or lack thereof!). When we are angry, when we are let down by other people, we tend to see ourselves as the victim, as the person on which “evil forces” are operating, or at least the problems of another acting upon us. But when we look deeply into the question, we are to blame for our own reactions, positive or negative. We can choose to let our wounds become a womb for our own anger and indifference.
It’s no coincidence that articles are popping up everywhere that talk about the mass exit of Americans from religion. I believe that these people are not fleeing spirituality as much as religion, because religion’s only answers really are to believe this or that dogma and things will be fine. I don’t believe Jesus saw the world that way, but saw it as an invitation to an active, ongoing, mystical feast that required not passive acceptance of rules and regulations but active searching and serving those around us, because how else are we going to find God, where else, if we don’t find God in the other person and, perhaps more signficantly, in the love that exists in understanding and being totally and truely with the person?
Mother Teresa said once, “God is love in action,” and I think that definition reminds me of something Alan Watts said to me — wind is a wonderful thing, but you can’t put it in a box and wrap it up and send it to a friend — it isn’t wind any more. God In A Box isn’t God, either, to my way of thinking, but, rather, a presumptuous attitude on our parts that we can wrap around God’s being, intent, actions and depth. It’s a little like saying a wave has the total and complete knowledge of the ocean of which it itself is a part.
Technorati Tags: christian mystic, christian mysticism, mysticism, knowing god, mother teresa, diane strausser, julian of norwich
Brian, I agree with you about why folks are leaving religion. The church I attend has a weak attendance. I love the church – it’s full of wonderful people, I believe in it’s teachings… and I don’t want to see it fail.
In order to raise attendance, we are in the process of trying to start a contemporary service. The traditional service is good, but it does nothing for people who do not want to be locked into rules, or dogma.
A contemporary service would be a bit more free, and would offer folks a place to connect to their spirituality without feeling so constricted.
Of course, we’re coming up against the powers that be, and they are hesitating to offer this service – while at the same time complaining that attendance is awful, and stagnant.
There was a time in my life where I would have lashed out, gotten angry… but now, I feel a deep sense of trust – a deep sense of connection between me and God.
And it’s been proven to me time and time again, that if I stay in this trusting, loving connected place, things will begin to flow in a really good direction… sometimes not what I had hoped for – but the outcome is always good for all.
Thank you Brian – what a wonderful collection of thought you put together. My grandmother gave me a book titled “God Calling” which was written by two women as they sat and waited to hear what God had to say to them. One spoke what God was saying while the other wrote it down. This post reminds me a bit of that book – and many others!
Brian, thank you for such a fine essay. It was interwoven, not patchwork, which is no easy task. The comment about wounds reminded me of another take on that. I’m a writer and I lead workshops here and there and one thing I try to teach is an idea from Marion Woodman that I came across years ago. She said that the wound is where God enters. I see the wound as a gift. It’s simply a matter of reframing, it seems. I also use the line “there’s a crack in everything/ that’s where the light gets in.” I’m a student of the Japanese Tea Ceremony. The “bowls,” as the cups are called, are highly prized articles of aesthetic and spiritual beauty. But the most valuable ones are the ones that have been broken. They are imperfect and impermanent. Like everything. Like me. Like you. It is the visible imperfection that makes them beautiful. And when they are put back together, lovingly and carefully, gold dust is mixed with the glue. So, again, thanks for your carefully crafted words. And I hope that my comments may have provided another way of seeing wounds.
Many people struggle so hard to find God, yet God is always here. Some can’t find time to seek God, but God is always now. As Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is within you.”
The divine ‘here’ and ‘now’ are not just this place in space or this moment in time. It is the infinite here and eternal now which are independent of space-time. The divine is both immanent and transcendent, encompassing and surpassing all of existence. The Holy Spirit surrounds us and makes itself known through God and creation.