A Jewish story tells of a rabbi who intrigued his congregation by leaving, and no one knew where, each week on the eve of the Sabbath. The people thought he might be meditating on the Almighty and ascending spiritually into Heaven. To them, that would befit such a holy person, especially in preparing for leading and observing Sabbath worship.
The congregation assigned one of its own to follow him one Sabbath eve. What did the man see? The rabbi walked to a small cottage and went inside.
After the rabbi left, the spy knocked on the door. A woman's voice invited him in. The man asked her about the purpose of the rabbi's visit. "Oh," she said, "I'm paralyzed, and he comes every Sabbath eve and prepares me a meal and cleans my cottage."
The spy returned to the congregation. The people asked, "Where did the Rabbi go?" And, "Was the rabbi in deep meditation with the Almighty?" And, "Did our rabbi ascend to Heaven?" He said, "No, our rabbi did not ascend to Heaven. He ascended even higher."
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The ego can be seduced by the spectacular. The spiritual marketplace is filled with stories and promises of amazing, out-of-this-world, matter-defying feats. Tales of spiritual heroes doing the miraculous seem to verify their powers and authenticity. The ego, prone to a fascination with the remarkable and unusual, can be enticed by this parade of acts and capacities of breathtaking proportions. To the carnal ego, walking on water is more miraculous than a single mom or dad raising three kids by working three jobs.
In the Way, there is no spectacular. Walking on water is no more spiritual than sweeping a floor, sharing a smile, or laughing at a joke. What you bring from yourself to an act makes it spiritual or not. Aligning with Life, all you do communicates Life.
Thérèse of Lisieux (France, 1873-97) wrote, "Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing." So, with love, deeds, even the most mundane, count as everything. And elsewhere, "Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love."
*Use of photography is allowed accompanied by credit given to Brian K. Wilcox and title and place of photograph.
*Brian's book, An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major online booksellers or the publisher AuthorHouse.
