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This is a writing directed especially to persons at a transition in the spiritual journey. Such pilgrims seek a new start, a venue to serve more wholly, joyfully, and peacefully - or empowerment and guidance to do so in a present place.
These persons are ready to receive intuitions, human advice, divine syncronicities, ..., and Love that will lead the way, a Love responding to the readiness to be of compassionate service to others.
Could it be that some person reading this has persons elsewhere waiting for his or her gifts? Could it be someone reading this has need to see how Love is leading to a more fertile, hopeful place to serve? Could it be someone reading this is not seeing the possibilities where he or she is, or is not seeing God can grace to plant patiently the seeds at one's feet, planting that will one day become a beautiful harvest of souls?
Regardless, sometimes a prayer of abdication, affirming you do not have the "natural" resources to meet the needs where you are or where God is leading, is a prayer helpful to make.
Now to a story - Andrew Harvey's account of the end of a prolonged spiritual "dark night," a spiritual night lasting years and openning to a new direction in service. God has a habit, it seems, of putting persons in contexts where the person can only fulfill the Call by supernatural Resources.
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Andrew had arrived in India to be with his father at his deathbed. The experience occurred at a Catholic church, The Church of Christ the King. A short and plump Indian priest had just sat down, having completed a sermon on Christ as the mystical king of reality, One who had given himself to all in compassion.
When the priest finished talking and sat down, I looked up at the statue of the resurrected Christ at the end of the church. To my absolute awe astonishment, it became alive and began to emit radiant golden light. I knew beyond a shadow of any doubt that the living resurrected Christ was appearing to me and radiating toward me, burning an infinite passion. My whole being trembled and blazed in the exquisite, terrible, fierce, glorious force of intense, ecstatic passion flowing from Him to me. As this force entered me, it seemed to hack my chest open and split open my heart so that from the depths of my heart a smaller answering force started to radiate back to the great force emanating from the Christ.
And in those sacred moments, I understood the truth of what the great mystics of divine love of all traditions have been trying to teach us-that lover, beloved, and love are one, and that this oneness in the burning, tender communion of divine love is the absolute and final reality of the universe.
[T]ears of rapture and gratitude and infinite joy poured from my eyes. And I felt that one period of my life had ended and a whole new period was beginning. ... I knew from a study of Christian mystical literature that experiences of the risen Christ such as this very often signaled the end of a dark night and the beginning of consciousness of divine identity.
Later, Andrew had words arise, which he understood to come from Christ. He was told that his spiritual experiences he had used for his own benefit. From then, his spiritual experience was to be to serve all others.
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I offer a prayer for persons to pray who are seeking to join more wholly and joyfully their experience of Christ as Love with service to others, and in a new beginning- however that takes shape in his or her life:
Dear Christ, we seek new beginnings. For we cannot be and give as we long to, a longing arising from you, without such newness. Where the old has ended, let it be pregnant with the new. Where the light has turned dark, let it open to a fresh Day. Where there is doubt in us, let it lead us to a faith not our own, but given through us by you. Where our love has grown cold and unforgiving, impassion us with kindness and grace transcending ourselves and including all. The gifts we have received of your loving intimacy - now let our hearts open that we may fearlessly give from it. As you multiplied loaves and fish for the multitude, multiply what you have given us in your giving through us. We have enjoyed many graces, blessings to serve more fearlessly and wholly. We are not content with giving what we now give or as we give. Our lives have become spiritual receptors of your Presence, we pray to be and yearn to be, more than ever, spiritual conductors of divine, life-affirming Vitality in this world. If we can do that where we are, then, according to your will be it. If not, confirm such is not the case, and lead us to the Light, and in the Light to the chosen venue to be a blessing to those waiting for us. Now, in small or large ways, confirm your leading.
Amen.
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*Story by Andrew Harvey is from Phil Bolsta. Ed. Sixty Seconds. No. 10.
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*Charitable contributions would be appreciated to assist Brian in continuing his ministry. For contributions, contact Brian at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Brian's book of spiritual love poetry, An Ache for Union: Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major booksellers or the Cokesbury on-line store, cokesbury.com .
*Brian K. Wilcox, a United Methodist Pastor, lives in Southwest Florida. He is a vowed member of Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in South Georgia. He lives a contemplative life and seeks to inspire others to enjoy a more intimate relationship with Christ. Brian advocates for a spiritually-focused, experiential Christianity and renewal of the Church through addressing the deeper spiritual needs and longings of persons.
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