|
* * *
Would Merton have believed a Hindu monk wearing sneakers would have had such a marked influence on his life? No. No reason exists to believe such would have ever entered his mind, considering his origins, culture, and Catholicism.
And we never know in what appearance the Christ will appear to us. The Light may be sent by the Divine Love to us and may look totally unlike what we would have envisioned prior. Or, the Christ may look much like we would have anticipated.
Now, also, we need to be aware the Christ might appear, not in person, but through someone we never meet. Yes, I have felt destined to have come upon specific authors and their writings, and these men and women shaped my life much. Most of them, I would not have expected to be the form in which Christ would appear to me, considering my past religious and cultural affiliations. Christ meeting me through their words enlightened me, encouraged me, and comforted me during the years of struggle to find the Way for myself. I imbibed from their wisdom through their words. Ironically, for my meeting many of these wise beings when I was a Christian clergyperson, almost all were not affiliated with the Christian way. And many were Christian - the Christian mystics - but they were sharing ideas which were foreign to what I had been taught to be true and to be Christian. I welcomed to be taught from any source whereby I felt the energy of truth meeting me, the one Ocean moving through many rivers of Grace.
* * *
What if Merton had not been welcoming to this Hindu man who appeared so much unlike him? Would Merton have turned away the loving, gracious Christ, the wise, compassionate Buddha, the pastoral, playful Krishna?
The people of Jesus' hometown missed he was embodying for them the Christ, a Face of their God. Jesus was present, and Christ was present, and they saw Jesus, not Christ. Christ did not show up as they thought Christ should; Christ did not fit their ideology. Their theology of Christ blinded them to the living Christ present, there and then.
And when Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. He arrived in his hometown and started teaching in the synagogue. The locals were amazed, saying, "From where did this fellow get this wisdom and these marvelous works? Isn't he the son of the carpenter [Joseph]? Isn't his mother Mary and brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? And aren't his sisters living here? So, from where did this man get all this? They were offended by him. Jesus told them, "A prophet isn't without honor except in his hometown and family." He didn't do many wonders there because of their untrust.
*Matthew 13.53-58
Continued... |
