Tags
divine, Divine Guest, dwelling place, God's temple, hospitality, invitation, The Sophia Center for Spirituality
This morning in a commentary on Psalm 98 I read an evocative sentence followed by a question worthy of pondering. It suggested that human beings need to offer an invitation to God and interior space for God to be, and then asked: Have you ever sensed that you could offer a place inside of your being as a dwelling place for the divine, or that your whole being could be God’s “temple” as it is often put in the tradition?
Sometimes it seems as if we spend too much time and effort begging for good fortune or happy outcomes (which I do think God hears as honest and legitimate requests) but this short reflection puts a different spin on our conversations, evoking a note of hospitality in our way of speaking to God. The images that arose in me from those lines of the psalm were of a great hall – as in a castle where a musical festival was being held. The music pauses as God appears at the top of a grand staircase and all eyes turn toward the Divine Guest. Then the music begins again with the most beautiful strains of song ever heard and all bow low as God descends the stairs…At that moment I recognize that the entire scene is being played out inside myself and the invitation is to allow God’s presence to fill me – body and soul – in all the comings and goings of my life.
Fanciful, yes, but worth imagining to give us a taste of what it would be like to truly take the role of host to the Divine Guest. Are we equal to the challenge? Are we willing? Let the music begin!
The Sophia Center for Spirituality 