St. Paul

In Any Case…

In Greek mythology, keeping the gods and goddesses happy was central to life. So, temples were built, activities were held, sacrifices were made, all to please the gods and goddesses so that the people in turn might be helped along or rewarded rather than punished. Having recently seen a show that involved Greek mythology and the challenge of relationships, reading “…be reconciled to God,” in chapter 5, verse 20 of the Second Letter to the Corinthians, strikes a chord. And then there is the Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday of Lent which includes the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), which really leads one to think about relationships. Combining the two, it can be intriguing to look more closely at the differences and similarities between one’s relationship with God and one’s relationships with others (family, friends, acquaintances, etc.). And perhaps consider further, the impact of both the things we can see and those we think we can see but cannot.

Looking to St. Paul and to the Prodigal Son, it’s all about stripping away the extraneous, drawing closer to what lies within, and trusting one’s experience. However, not one’s experience of self or others, but looking for, remembering and trusting one’s experience of God within the interactions and dealings we have with one another.

Imagine riding along from start to finish with Saul of Tarsus, soldier… warrior, active persecutor of early Christians who was literally knocked off his horse, called to conversion, and way down the road, became St. Paul.

Envision travelling with the Prodigal Son. The son who took his inheritance while his father was still living and turned his back on everyone and everything that he had previously known. He had to take his own path and have his own way; it was just something he needed to do. However, on that path, he lost everything, but then gained so much more than he could have ever dreamed of, by owning the truth and returning home, where he was immediately welcomed and embraced.

For St. Paul and the Prodigal Son, it turned out that the things that drove them… the things that sucked them in as being so important or so necessary, weren’t. And while it may have seemed to them as though they lost everything in the process of their falling, they did not. Both experienced the kindness and love of God both directly and through others—the grace that led them to pivot—and it is through that, that they came to know their true worth as God’s beloved, and that what really matters can never be taken away, only shared and magnified.

Beyond the Fray…

Looking into the world of nature, it can be very easy to come across what makes for a beautiful picture. Whether one’s eye is caught by a single object or multiple ones combining to create a scene that captivates and captures attention, it all starts with posture.

The picture below was taken at the base of a road on the way back down, after having traveled it to the top of a mountain. The way that everything came together and seemed to fall into place in the moments we happened upon it, was rather striking. As we were returning from the summit on a sunny, gorgeous day, the sun was quickly overtaken by fast moving clouds, and as we drove, we moved in and out of brief periods of rain. However, once we reached the base, things looked much brighter. Then, not much further along, we entered the scene. It was like stepping into a painted landscape.

Again, everything—road, rock wall, water, building, sand, trees, and sky—seemed to come together, bringing out the best of what that day and time could offer, and it was perfect. Unity and peace within rising above and beyond turbulence. Not only a pretty sight or precious thought, but also at the heart of faith and faithfulness—the way in which one works, lives, and cooperates with the grace of God, who resides within us, and in whose image, we are all created.

What one carries or holds onto as they journey, quite literally, impacts everything—reception, perception, reaction, response, etc.

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all. – Eph 4:1-6

Light Through Darkness…

At first glance, the landscape seemed to offer little in the way of premium Fall New England colors. With a little time and upon further examination, brighter spots in between the deep, dark green became illumined. With the help of the rising sun, as it began to reach over the tops of the trees across the opposite side of the park, red, orange, and yellow, once dull and hidden, could now be seen.

It is interesting, what natural, or true and pure light can do. No matter how bleak or gloomy a situation may seem, under the light of Truth, there is hope… and, where there is hope there is certainly faith and love. These together provide strength for the journey, comfort in moments of heartache and heartbreak, and peace to be open to the wisdom and guidance patiently waiting on the other side of unrest.

In the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, it is written, “Shine like lights in the world as you hold on to the word of life” (Philippians 2:15d, 16a). St. Paul wrote this advice to the people of Philippi, the first Christian community in Europe that he had helped to form. Not only that, but he wrote it while imprisoned, essentially for doing the very thing he is asking the Philippians to do; the very thing we are asked to do. Despite circumstances, through the grace of God, and throughout the ages, we are all called to shine like a light, both bright and true, and with a heart and mind focused… not only fixed on God, but also fixed on placing the desire to do God’s will above all else. When we do this, we shine through the darkness that tries to quell and quiet us. When we do this, we break free.

SparksOfLight

Intuition…

Intuition is sometimes referred to as the voice within or direction from one’s soul. Famed physicist, Albert Einstein once said, “The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a leap in consciousness, call it intuition or what you will, and the solution comes to you and you don’t know why or how.”

As we travel along our way throughout life, we all have moments where we act or respond based on a gut feeling, or intuition, more than anything else. Just the same, there are moments where perhaps we ignore that gut feeling and lean toward the voice of reason and act or respond logically. Renowned poet William Wordsworth said, “Faith is a passionate intuition.”

In a letter to the Hebrews, St. Paul wrote:

“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God,
so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.
By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s.
Through this, he was attested to be righteous,
God bearing witness to his gifts,
and through this, though dead, he still speaks.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death,
and he was found no more because God had taken him.
Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God.
But without faith it is impossible to please him,
for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who seek him.
By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen,
with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household.
Through this, he condemned the world
and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.” (Hebrews 11:1-7)

Whatever one might believe, no matter how different one’s approach might be, we all have intuition. Both the wisdom and insight of intuition are planted within us, pushing through the soil that is knowledge and/or experience to the contrary, and budding at just the right time for just the right occasion, seeking to guide and protect us…to help us choose what is best. This occurs regardless of whether or not we consider and heed it.

While Albert Einstein, William Wordsworth, and St. Paul lived in different times and traveled in very different circles, they all lived with an awareness of that which is sacred and an openness to creation and innovation. They seem to have made every effort to reverence the fruit of the Vine, the work of their hands, and the dreams and longings of their souls. We are called to do the same.

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