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There are no ultimate answers to be found by following a better life
as we conceive of it from our ordinary awareness.
*Richard Moss. The I That is We.
The following form of meditation is meant to usher you into the sense of Mystery, not teach you directly about It. Follow the ebb and flow, out of Mind, into Heart - With God. Thinking is a last boundary to Love-Union: thought drops at the point of its boundary, you feel spirit.
Soul
Mystery
God
Christ
Love
Grace
What do these mean?
Being mystical, contemplative, I feel a meaning for each,
But each escapes when I try to understand with my mind.
I play with the enigma, the paradox, and sense deeply the Truth:
I guess this is a reason I feel one with others who see these truths differently.
I guess this is a reason that mystics are always World Lovers,
Even while they struggle to fit in the necessities of particularity.
I am amazed at how these men and women can love everyone, so truly,
And love their own particular contexts of meanings, also.
I am sure they suffer much, living this inner paradox,
And I appreciate them for doing that for me.
Mystics are few in number,
But they remind me of a Larger Truth,
And the Love that seeks to wed Eternity with Time,
Including all, excluding none.
What Great Love!
Possibly, I need to rejoice in this universal feeling in me, too,
Though I do not claim, here, to be a mystic, except as all have some mystical inside,
And honor that the feeling of these truths show
My heart is being attuned to Love.
I wonder what the world would be like,
If we would cease trying to figure out these truths,
And feel them from many different directions, based
On differences in culture, language, symbols, scriptures, sacred tales, parables, …
Possibly, in the Knowing of the Heart,
All wars would cease
All religions become non-harming expressions of Grace
And humans respectful of Nature and its gifts to us
I think Christ would delight in this.
Am I willing to give up my religious prejudices to delight Christ
And better the world I live in?
Today,
I choose Mystery, honoring the mystical in everyone,
To reflect on.
And, I will see where that leads.
So, …
I need to reflect, daily, on something
I cannot understand.
This keeps me from getting too intellectually proud,
Reminds me I don’t know as much as I sometimes think,
Keeps the Window of Mystery Open,
With the Wind blowing in.
Having faith,
I do not have to fear Mystery;
I can enjoy the Not-knowing;
Knowing the Joy of That Knowing.
So, what is Mystery?
Is it one thing?
Is it many things?
I sense it is No-thing.
I sense it, now, and envision Mystery:
An Ocean I am submerged in,
Surrounding me. I am like an infant, curled up, resting in a Womb,
Being formed There-
This Womb is my Father, my Mother, Life, Love, Everything, Nothingness.
I sense Mystery, as peace, as strength, as being part of a Wholeness of
Compassion and Care.
I sense others are there with me, too, though, right now
I see only myself, caressed in this Bliss of Infinite, Life-Giving Energy.
I pause and ponder this scene,
With my eyes closed
And heart open,
I smile,
Breathing gently.
I want to feel This.
What does this Mystery feel like?
Calming? Peaceful? Connection? Universal Mother? Heavenly Father? Protector?
Baffling? Disturbing? Threatening?
Whatever I feel,
That is okay.
I feel it,
Offering it to that Universal Source:
Even my feeling of Mystery is part of Mystery
To attune myself to this Mystery,
I do not have to understand it;
I can befriend It, today, by:
Befriending the world,
Befriending God,
Befriending others,
Befriending myself.
Through this befriending,
Mystery shows Her face
So, today, again
I rest in Un-knowing.
I experience Mystery.
Moment-to-moment
In memory,
In the present,
In anticipation.
All happening Now! Here! Wow!
Sometimes This makes me laugh.
At other times I am stunned speechless.
Sometimes I cry.
This is more than a belief.
This is an experience I sense, feel, live, receive from, give to;
more like a Love Affair than a lecture,
like electromagnetic energy,
like a beautiful poem,
like a great work of art,
like a beautiful dance,
like Joy!
This Creator, Who is Mystery,
Is Create-ing me.
This Love, Who is Mystery,
Is Love-ing me.
This Christ, Who is Mystery,
Is Christ-ing me.
Mystery!
Mystery-ing knowing out of me.
Thus, I enter more deeply faith, trust, self-abandonment to His Plan, Her Will.
I never dreamed I could be loved like this! Love like this!
I AM a creature of Grace!
I see God in everyone!
I cannot keep silent about this-
Though many dare not tell,
Fearing those who “know.”
But, then, the mystics always know more
Than most are ready to hear.
So, every mystic, Heart Knower, holds
Sensations of meaning in the treasure chest for later.
I meet this Mystery I call by many Names.
In every nuance of the Present
I come to appreciate more, today,
That Truth leads me to awe.
So, I will enjoy this Mystery, honoring Her, Loving Him,
Knowing intuitively that Voice speaks
From the edges of the known,
Echoes from eons ago,
Cradling every Creature of Nature in Grace:
Always a little out of reach, Now
Knowing this,
Another part of me is touched
That would not be touched if I understood Truth.
So, I know, through my soul,
I am attuned to heavenly realities,
And I will hear more when I
Am attuned to hear more.
And, continuing in Prayer and Meditation, daily,
I become more attuned to this Other World Lover
Who holds this world, and everyone: Eternal Life!
I discover and feel, at a level deeper and broader than Mind,
With what the mystics refer to as Heart:
A Mystery I call
Love.
And, from this Abyss of Not-Knowing, Wisdom speaks,
“Brian, I Love You,”
And, I say,
“Friend, I Love You, too.”
So, I will live today
Gratefully,
For this world is my friend, too.
“Thank You!”
“YOU ARE BLESSED!” I SAY
* * *
*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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