The Power of Image

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image, interpretation, Jesus, mindful, putting the mind into the heart, spiritual teachers, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wisdom work

I’ve been sitting for quite awhile this morning with nothing worthwhile to say and nowhere to go to find assistance from one of the many books that surround me. I was on the verge of admitting that this moment — while obviously of great import in the life of the world — is unable to be captured in any language that I possess. While that is still true, I now have something to offer.

Each day I wait to see what our talented and thoughtful internet expert adds to my blog as a visual message. I love the pictures that Mary Pat finds to enhance my words. I am sometimes challenged, often amazed and delighted but always grateful for her skill and interpretation. Today as I clicked on the “admin” page, ready to admit that all I had to offer was my silence, I glanced at yesterday’s post which I had yet to see published and immediately found today’s message in the image that greeted me.

One of the most important tenets/objectives of the wisdom work that I have attempted to understand and make real in my life is “putting the mind into the heart.” It isn’t easy to let go of thinking and measuring and judging and all the things that keep us from opening to grace and willingness and, in a word, to love. That is, however, what I have come to know as the most important and reasonable and simple (but not easy) message of Jesus and other spiritual teachers. And there it was in an image this morning on my very own blog page from yesterday. A perfect way to begin another week of dealing with the pandemic that has stopped us in our tracks and calls us to be mindful of our every move and moment.

Who could ask for anything more?

What Did Jesus Do?

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acceptance, hear, Hearts on Fire, image, imitate Christ, impressed, Jesuit, John the Baptist, looking, meet, miracles, Pedro Arrupe, taught, teach, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, understand, welcome, willingness

Today takes it’s cue somewhat from yesterday’s entry. In the book of Jesuit prayers entitled Hearts on Fire, there is a prayer written by Pedro Arrupe, who was the beloved Superior General (world leader) of the Society of Jesus for 18 years (1965-1983) -a long term of office for anyone! His prayer gives a clue of how to bring the Scriptures alive in our daily journey, helping us to take our cue from Christ’s interaction with all sorts of people as he opened himself to all who crossed his path.

Teach me your way of looking at people: as you glanced at Peter after his denial, as you penetrated the heart of the rich young man and the hearts of your disciples. I would like to meet you as you really are, since your image changes with whom you come into contact.

Remember John the Baptist’s first meeting with you? And the centurion’s feeling of unworthiness? And the amazement of all those who saw miracles and other wonders? How you impressed your disciples, the rabble in the Garden of Olives, Pilate and his wife and the centurion at the foot of the cross…

I would like to hear and be impressed by your manner of speaking, listening, for example, to your discourse in the synagogue in Capharnaum (Capernaum), or the Sermon on the Mount where your audience felt you “taught as one who has authority.” (p.89-90)

What would it be like to imitate Christ’s words and actions in all our encounters? Would we come to better understand how to love our neighbors (whoever they might be) as ourselves? Perhaps a visit to all the above examples in the life of Jesus would give us some clues to the requisite qualities of welcome, willingness and acceptance necessary to him in the different situations and personalities he met on his way.

 

 

 

 

 

From Image to Likeness

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actuality of God, children of God, divine, God, image, John, love, motivation, profound, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The three letters of John in the Christian Scriptures are brief and to the point, with only the first of the three taking up more than one page. John’s writings are noted for eloquence and the preponderance of the theme of love – God’s love for us and our love for others. The first reading from this morning’s lectionary texts (1 John, ch. 2) is a simple yet profound declaration of what is true in the present and what we can hope for in the future. See what love the Father has bestowed on us, he says, that we may be called children of God. Yet so we are.

As if that’s not enough encouragement there’s a follow-up to this recognition of our present identity, beginning with the repetition in case we missed it that we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is.

I’m often amazed these days when I pull out sections of Bible texts for reflections that, although I’ve been reading these same words for years, they strike such a chord in me that I wonder why I’m not thrown into speechlessness by their profundity. Today I am stopped in my tracks by the wonder of being an offspring of the divine, made in the image of God and, hopefully, growing into God’s likeness.  And then there is the possibility, the probability, the promise that I will be able to actually see God as God is – not just in holy people or nature or anything else I can now see – but in the actuality of God. I can’t even imagine what that means and yet it is what gets me up in the morning and motivates all the good that I attempt during the day. Why wouldn’t I want to see and be like God?