In an earlier era, words and doctrines were overemphasized in much religious training. "What do you believe?" was the major concern. Religion became overly wordy, and people were judged on whether or not they repeated the "correct" words. As a result, there has recently been a pendulum swing in the opposite direction. Now, many people are focused on the bodily dimension of spirituality. That is good, but often, when discussions about theology arise, people say: "Get out of your head! Stop engaging in 'mental masturbation'!" They seem to forget that the cognitive dimension and the physical dimension are never meant to be separated in the first place. For me, the dimension of the "mental" is always innately married to the physical, and vice versa. There is no such thing as a purely mental insight, just as there is also no such thing as a purely physical experience. True theological insights only occur when a mental "aha!" experience arises that is rooted in a physically-based ecstatic awareness. For example, my experience of God, the Great Mystery, is rooted in a metaphor that I derive from Nature - that of alpenglow. Here, I envision all things lit up in love by a divine Sun that has mysteriously disappeared below the infinite horizon of Being. This metaphor uses words, but unites them to physical images that take me into the wordless world of awe and wonder!
Photo: Aspen trees and Clark Peak at sunset; Medicine Bow Range, CO; October 7, 2013
If you'd like to make a donation to help support Nature Photo-Quotes, please go here. Thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment