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Regardless of where we think we are on the spiritual Path, we are always a beginner. We are always, daily, beginning again. There are no spiritual experts
in this world.
Scripture: I Corinthians 12.12-13 (ESV)
12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body~Jews or Greeks, slaves or free~and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
A Sufi Wisdom Story
Moses called a humble shepherd a blasphemer, for Moses had heard the poor man offering to comb God's hair, wash His robe, and kiss his hand. God admonished Moses, declaring, "Thus you have driven away a worshipper from the nearest to Me that he could approach."
Comments
A challenge of being a spiritual Christian is in fellowship with persons with limited intellectual or spiritual insight, or both. This is very challenging at present in the States. We are living in a spiritual and intellectual desert in matters of true Faith. Most of Christian religion here speaks, it appears, to the lowest common denominator, not urging persons to heights of thought and spirit. And many of our clergy and laity in churches seem more intent on maintaining churches and propositional, dogmatic faith than leading persons by spoken word and lived example in growing up spiritually.
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The human is a being attached to and advancing in the outer life, but lacking discipline~acesis~, specific practices, skill, and spiritual leaders to become intimately acquainted with the be~ing and workings of the inner, spiritual life.
A temptation then for anyone seeking to live a spiritual life~by which I mean beyond moralistic and dogmatic...~ is regarding persons she might esteem less insightful and spiritual~even the many devoid of any apparent inclination to the inner self.
An insight into the lack of spirituality of the other person, even when a valid one, can lead into a prideful sense of superiority. This is a violation of the essential virtue of the spiritual life~charity, or true affection.
The Scripture from I Corinthians 12~see above~continues St. Paul addressing the Church at Corinth in its allowing spiritual gifts and devotion to pastors to divide the one Christ, which the Church is called to, into factions. They were well-gifted in spiritual gifts~spiritual talents to edify the Body~but lacking in spiritual graces~spiritual qualities of character like love, patience, generosity,...
We too must keep in mind that we who seek a contemplative life are called to an above-ordinary practice of spiritual graces. Chief among these spiritual graces is spiritual love toward all persons. Any contemplative claims that do not lead to a more thorough and determined practice of spiritual love toward all persons, not just some, needs to be called into question.
Another error is to seek to erase any differentiation between persons in Spirit. Yes, while we are all equal in the Eye of Spirit, we are not all one in extent to which we have matured in the inner life. In the same religious group or congregation persons all the way from prekindergarten to graduate school in Spirit can worship together. This creates variety, and tension.
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