Thy Love to Thy Love

The Uncommon Sense

Jan 14, 2016

You know, spiritual Teachers oft have a way of saying things that make no sense to the mind. And, frankly, maybe they speak nonsense, so not intending to make sense. Like Zen koans, apparently nonsensical sayings. Apparently ... that is, some nonsense may be a higher, purer form of logic, of knowing. On one level nonsense for at a deeper, more subtle meaning beyond common sense. So, nonsense can open us to uncommon sense. We see Jesus sayings like this in the Gospels of the Christian Bible. And, also, the Eucharist is a complete koan in itself. I mean, the Eucharist is an initiation into uncommon sense. The Trinity is a koan. The mind is socialized to common sense; spirituality is about a retraining to a knowing that to common sense appears nonsense, but is actually more true than what persons know as truth commonly.

I had one of these koan moments last Sunday in Worship. Words started flowing inside me, spontaneously, over and over. The words..."Sacrifice Thy Love, to Thy Love." I realized, "That doesn't make sense." Yet, I yielded to the apparently nonsensical mantra and followed it, letting it flow again and again. Even after Worship Service, when I got in my vehicle to leave, I allowed the words to flow. And, throughout the week, they have returned. I have reflected on them some, but mostly been subtly inquisitive and appreciative of the beauty and sense of the koan prayer, "Sacrifice Thy Love, to Thy Love."

Now, I could share some insight on what has arisen about what this koan prayer may mean for me, but that would not be necessarily for you. And, anyway, to give some meaning to it is not the purpose of this writing. Maybe, you want to reflect on that prayer. Or, possibly, you have your own prayers that have arisen in you and which made no common sense to you, but you sensed they made a lot of uncommon sense. Or, possibly, you want to reflect on the possibility that a lot of truth you may have decided was nonsense is really so much more.

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