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A Sagely Word
The eyes of my soul were opened, and I looked on the plenitude of God, wherein I did see the whole world, both here and beyond the sea, and the abyss and ocean and all things. In all these things I saw nothing except the divine power, in a way indescribable, so that through excess of marveling the soul cried out with a loud voice, exclaiming, “This whole world is full of God!”
*St. Angela of Foligno, 1248-1309, an Italian, was married and with several children. Her husband and children died shortly after her heart was opened mystically to Christ. This conversion experience occurred after she prayed to St. Francis of Assisi, who, in a dream, promised to help her. Foligno became a layperson in the Franciscan order. She was a woman who is known to have given herself completely to God. Consistent with her dedication, she donated all her possessions to the poor and lived on charity.
Scripture
37Then Jesus gave a loud cry. He gave up His spirit [or breath] and died. 38The curtain in the house of God [i.e. the Temple] was torn in two from top to bottom. 39The captain of the soldiers was looking at Jesus when He cried out. He saw Him die and said, “For sure, this Man was the Son of God [or, a son of God].” (Mark 15, NLV)
Commentary
The Gospels Matthew, Mark, and Luke have the tearing of the Temple curtain at the time of Jesus dying. With such shared witness in public document, and at a time the disciples were seeking to encourage new Christians and convince others of the Gospel, there is no reason to assume, except from a materialistic bias, that this event could not have and did not happen. We see deeper significance, however; we see the transhistorical. What significance does it have for us now in our practicing Means of Grace?
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The Death-Resurrection Story is one we enter, daily, as followers of Jesus. Sunday, likewise, is a weekly gathering together to enter this Story. The Story becomes contemporary with our stories.
A friend of mine noted, essentially, in regard to living the Story, “Things are not as many Christians assume. Jesus is not just going to do it for us. We must do it.” Grace includes a free offer. Grace gives us the Story, a living Story. A Grace Going Before, the Initiating Energy, is what the Wesleyan tradition calls Prevenient Grace. The Initiating Impulse implies invitation for reply. Even contemplation, while experienced as passive receptivity, we enjoy only resultant to active reply. The journey of Christian discipleship entails the principle of Divine empiricism, a logical, causative relationship from, in, and to Grace.
By choice and action, daily, we receive transforming Grace. Passivity is the other side of Activity: they are One. We find beautiful reciprocity. Grace precedes Action; Action precedes Grace. We enjoy Koinonia (Gk. Partnership, Fellowship) with Wonderful Presence. Grace urges onward, within and outward in compassion.
Physics provides a metaphor for this graceful reciprocity. A coordinating bond is a bond between an atom and another atom or group of atoms, while only one atom supplies the two electrons. Entering the Christ Event, we enter a coordinating bond whereby we receive Energy that activates reply to Grace. This is a Koinonia Bond or Coordinating Union with Christ.
St. Paul refers to this Union as “in Christ,” many times. In Galatians 2 (ESV) he writes:
19For through the law [by extension, self-will] I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
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