"To be one with One Whom one cannot see is to be hidden, to be nowhere, to be no one: it is to be unknown as He is unknown, forgotten as He is forgotten, lost as He is lost to the world, which nevertheless exists in Him."
Thomas Merton
Human society seems fixated on boxing each of us into a religious tradition with clear, definable boundaries. But is that how our Source behaves? God - as the loving Ground of Being - is apparently content to remain as a humble, unidentifiable backdrop upon which all of the phenomena of life are constantly appearing. At least some of us are called to do likewise, remaining as a kind of below-the-radar Listening that enables others to express themselves and to come into their own. This is precisely a major tenet of the spiritual tradition I represent, that of the 16th century Protestant Contemplative Spirituals, otherwise known as "the Invisible Church." This tradition is founded on the statement of Christ which says: "The reign of God does not come visibly, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the reign of God is WITHIN and AMONG you." I don't pretend to think that everyone should follow the Contemplative Spiritual path, but it is now time for those of us who do to be recognized as belonging to a viable - though usually hidden - religious tradition.
Photos: Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, March 9, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment