Shining Spirit

I’ve never been very good at math. In fact, I’ve never been slightly good at math. I don’t like it; it doesn’t like me, and so when I went to college, we tried to avoid each other. Except for the unbending graduation requirements that dictated several basic courses, I ran from math every semester. I have friends, though, who loved trig and calculus; they gobbled those up and wanted more. Shifting to matters of faith and practice, the same constant message is heard from classrooms and pulpits: “Go deeper. Don’t stop at a fifth grade level of understanding. Probe in order to find a strong, vibrant faith relationship with God.”

This is the recommendation of Willigis Jager in his book Search For The Meaning of Life. He writes: “Contemplation deepens and transforms our faith in Jesus Christ. It leads us from Jesus to the Christ.”

From Jesus to the Christ! Think about it. Jesus was consistent in his desire not only to know God but also to reveal God in life stories and experiences. And, he urged his followers to look through him to a deeper connection with the Origin of Life. The early portions of John’s Gospel are loaded with the blessing of Christology, of the urgency of knowing Christ. Jesus never expressed a desire to establish Jesusology, a Jesus worship. He pointed beyond himself to God and he said it clearly: “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will never come to you.” (John 16:7) The way to shortchange your faith inquiries is to develop a love for Jesus, and stop there. He was the “door,” “the way,” the directional sign to a compassionate, caring God. There is truth in Jager’s strange comment: “We must let go of all ideas about Jesus if the true Jesus is to appear.”

Please don’t read this as a rejection of Jesus. He is the key to the door; he is the way, the truth, and the life. We love him and we follow him in trust, for he leads us beyond himself, straight to the glory of God. I invite you to think like a Mystic or a Contemplative. Keep your mind open and receptive to the whispers of the Holy Spirit. Allow Jesus to lead you to the place and moment of your own discovery. He is the pilot of the ship, but that ship floats on the enormity of the ocean’s mystery. Spiritual joy comes when we recognize the connection of the two.

Pray with me: Jesus, Light of my way, Guide of my life, show me the way to The Presence. I trust you to lead, to teach me about God as we walk along, to show me the things to do, the mind to develop in preparation for that indescribable moment of unity and union. May it be so. Amen.

My friend said: “I wonder why these damaged and dead plants aren’t pulled out of here? Such an eyesore.” She said that at the same time I was thinking to myself: “Life lessons are everywhere. Look at this one. Even in its damaged state, it sends us a message.” Do you see it?

Strength is inside, most often unseen. Watch a new building under construction. First the foundation, then the framing, both hidden sources of structural strength, then the decorative exterior. Strength is within. And, many times the interior is more beautiful than the exterior. This little plant in the photo is an example. The work of the artist is inside…texture, pattern, color. Lovely.

Spiritual strength is not in muscle and sinew. It is what resides within, planted there by The Source of all strength. A suggestion: spend as much time developing inner spiritual strength as you do walking, cycling, working out. Take a lesson from the earth. On second thought, spend more time working on the inside than you do on the outside. Better payoff.

At just the right moment, when the sun is saying goodbye, just before night arrives, the mountains speak. You can hear them only if you stop what you’re doing and pay attention. They don’t speak for a long time, just briefly. But their message is powerful.

On this particular day, long shadows and dwindling light encouraged this small section of the Catalinas to demonstrate the importance of foundations in life. It looks like a cross-section procedure in the high school lab. Slice off a piece of the mountain and what do you see? What lies below the surface? And the revealed answer is Solid Rock. Scrape away the layers of soil and you find magnificent strength.

The earth declares the glory of God, and one element of that declaration is foundational strength. When all else fails, the rock holds. When things are just fine, the rock supports. When exposed, even for moment as the sun sets, the rock is beautiful. Soil comes and goes according to the wishes of the wind, but The Rock is immovable. So it is with the promises and the presence of God’s Spirit. Beneath the surface of joys and sorrows, successes and failures lies Rock, the Rock of Ages.

And when The Rock glows in the setting sun, it is well with my soul. May it be so with you. Amen