The man sat with his Spiritual Director. He would not admit of his being a mystic. She corrected him with a directness he rarely received from her. He was left to accept, and he did, being something that persons define with opinions from a mystic being "a person profoundly blessed with spiritual insight into Reality" to "a metaphysical weirdo out of touch with reality." Seeing he is a clergyperson in a mainline everything-but mystic group ~ which overall applies to every Protestant sect ~ imagine how lonely his being mystical can be: it can be very mystifying to others and himself.
Yet, he finds having a mystical nature to be, oddly, very liberating and other than lonely. After all, the very connection that the mystical consciousness is in Christ makes a person enjoy, and at times suffer, a deep awareness of a Love and Knowledge that transcends and includes all Truth, all creatures, all persons.
So, what is a mystic? Let me venture a definition of what cannot be defined ~ yes, every creature defies definition.
A mystic is one who experientially is open beyond all definition of God and, thus, profoundly defies reducing God to "God," whether in theology, experience, or worship ~ and all of this joined with a generally abiding sense of Presence that resists even categories of mystical thought itself.
Yet, every Christian, being in Christ, is called to share, to some degree, mystical awareness as defined above. I do not see the mystic as being some kind of special person or closer to God than other persons, but his or her closeness to God takes a path and tint mystical, and the mystical implies the defining trait of his or her faith. All persons in Christ can grow to participate in mystical awareness, yet, "a mystic" implies a particular religious vocation and way of serving others.
I share a story to speak of one gift of the mystic to our time, and all times. David Aaron, in Endless Light, tells of his student called Susan. She told David of a story from her childhood that defined for her "God" early on and scarred her, potentially for life.
"I must have done something pretty bad," she recalled, "but I can't remember just what it was. What I do remember most vividly is my mother chasing me around the house yelling, "God is going to punish you! God is going to punish you!" I ran to the bathroom and locked myself in. My mother was still screaming, "God is going to punish you!" And from behind the door, I yelled back, "No, he won't. He can't get to me in the bathroom." My mother grew even more furious. "You're wrong. God is everywhere. Even in the bathroom!"
A like use of the word "God" is often employed somewhat as follows.
After statements against your character, certainly not meant to edify you in any way, a letter or conversation ends with that classic God-defense-mechanism, which goes something like this: "You just be assured, God will be the judge of ..." ~ of course, this is always intended to mean: "And God is going to judge you ...." Is this not just a mechanism to say, "I am right, you are wrong," and has nothing to do with what God does or does not think.
No, I cannot say that I have not used the same vain employment of the Divine Name. After many years of preaching, I began seeing more how we who preach often subtly misuse the Divine Name in trying to make or defend our point, even using God's Name to speak down to other persons, rather than with and to other persons. So, I am not myself guiltless in this matter.
Odd, how I experienced this in a Christian church once.
The congregation was divided over me. Half was fiercely loyal and esteeming me a devout and truthful man and pastor. The other half esteemed me a heretical man and pastor, unworthy of my ordination, and even sought to block my official transfer to the Christian sect I now serve. They even had a prayer walk around the church grounds while my supporters were with me inside the sanctuary having Bible Study. They mailed me official charges to the church hierarchy and against two of my strong supporters ~ charges which did not make it into my home but, rather, straightway into the garbage container in the parsonage yard. Yet, this latter, oppositional group used often the language and name of God and Christian faith during their time of slanderous opposition.
The stories above are examples of using the name "God" in vain. The word "God" becomes a classic and trite defense mechanism in war, whether by a mother toward a daughter or a Muslim from Iraq and a Christian from the United States. This projective defense has been the source of excusing much evil and hurting others in unjustifiable ways, regardless of who is right or wrong, even to the extent of killing in "religious" wars, many, many thousands of persons.
"Mystic" implies a statement of consciousness, life, and presence, as innately spiritual and mysterious, and so his or her presence undermines in Love use of "God" in blasphemy and in vanity. The mystic so refuses to constrict God that his or her awareness is prophetically challenging of and undermining of all diminutions of the Divine.
So, mystics are persons that often have few friends. And his or her expression of presence might be intolerable to many goodwilled and devout persons.
David Aaron speaks of mystical experiences and their untranslatability.
Mystical experiences don't readily translate into everyday words. So the mystical language used to describe them must seem to the uninitiated like some kind of code. The relationship of mystical language to life experience is rather like that of sheet music to song. A person unaccustomed to reading sheet music sees only squiggles and dots and numbers. It looks like something very technical, mathematical, abstract. Yet it is an expression of beauty and joy and sorrow, of feelings and emotions that come straight from the soul of the composer. Only a true musician knows how to translate this code into the harmony of song.
No, the mystic is not a metaphysical weirdo out of touch with reality. He or she is more in touch with reality by being so reverent and respectful of the freedom of God to be God, not a particular "God" or a "God" fashioned into and confined within an image of hands or mind. Mystics across world faiths offer to help save us from the subtle vain uses of the Divine Name that leads even to using "God" to judge one another, wield power over others, harm others, or sustain a war against another whole people.
If the mystic is a man or woman of determined love, graceful truthfulness, and inner beauty ~ especially at personal cost ~ then, the person is godly and bears a gift worth receiving as of God and needed by us all.
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*Charitable contributions would be appreciated to assist Brian in the continuance of his work of ministry. For contributions, contact Brian at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Brian's book of mystical love poetry, An Ache for Union: Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major booksellers, or through the Cokesbury on-line store, at www.cokesbury.com .
*Brian K. Wilcox lives with his two beloved dogs, St. Francis and Bandit Ty, in Southwest Florida. He serves the Christ Community United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, FL. Brian is vowed at Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in South Georgia. He lives a contemplative life and inspires others to experience a more intimate relationship with Christ. Brian advocates for a spiritually-focused Christianity and renewal of the focus of the Church on addressing the deeper spiritual needs and longings of persons, along with empathic relating with other world religions, East and West. Brian has an independent writing, workshop, and retreat ministry, for all spiritual seekers.
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