Spiritual Formation Through Serving Others

I am convinced that few of us truly comprehend the enormity and the depth of what Christ accomplished through his sojourn In this world, his mission, death, resurrection, ascension, and divine infilling of everything in the universe. (For more info on this divine infilling, see Ephesians 4:10) . Whenever I speculate on the scope of the mission Christ undertook when he left the spiritual realm and landed in that manger in Bethlehem, I am often overwhelmed. Christ’s mission, when seen in its enormous, multi-faceted wholeness, is much like a prism. When you shine light through a prism you will see different colors, depending upon the perspective you are viewing from. It is the same with the work of Christ, depending on the angle you are looking from, you will see different aspects. In the end, the mission gave rise to what we call the gospel and, just like the mission itself, the gospel is also multi-dimensional. Referring to the work of Jim Marion, Cynthia Bourgeault concurs that Jesus saw the “Kingdom of Heaven” as a state of consciousness that viewed this unified and universal indwelling of Christ: It is a whole new way of looking at the world, a transformed awareness that literally turns the world into a different place. Marion suggests specifically that the Kingdom of Heaven is Jesus’ own favorite way of describing a state we would nowadays call a “nondual consciousness” or “unitive consciousness.” The hallmark of this awareness is that it sees no separation – not between God and humans, not between humans and other humans. …….No separation between God and humans. When Jesus talks about this Oneness, he is not speaking in an Eastern sense about an equivalency of being, such that I am in and of myself divine. What he more has in mind is a complete, mutual indwelling. I am in God, God is in you, you are in God, we are in each other. His most beautiful symbol of this is in the teaching in John 15 where he says, “I am the vine, and you are the branches. Abide in me as I in you.” In these passages in John 15, as well as later in his great prayer in John 17, the Master is stressing the reality of the divine intimacy now made possible through his incarnation, his successful mission in this physical world, his coming ascension and the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Through his accomplishments and through his ongoing presence within everything that exists, Christ is facilitating the restoration of the divine interconnection that existed in the original relationship between the Creator and Creation. This interconnection is brought about by the deepest intimacy possible and this unparalleled intimacy is the natural flow of God’s nature – love. God is love and, created in his holy image, so are we. Bourgeault continues: There is no separation between humans and God because of this mutual interabiding which expresses the indivisible reality of divine love. We flow into God – and God into us – because it is the nature of love to flow. And as we give ourselves into one another in this fashion, the vine gives life and coherence to the branch while the branch makes visible what the vine is…………The whole and part live together in mutual, loving reciprocity, each belonging to the other and dependent on the other to show forth the fullness of love. Personally, I find the Master’s use of the metaphor “vine” and “branches” particularly profound as it gives us a clear picture of what our vertical relationship with he and the Father is. Notice I said “is” rather than “is like.” I did this for a reason and perhaps it is the same reason Jesus used metaphor rather than simile. Simile uses words such as “like” or “as” to draw an analogy between two things. For example, it Jesus had used a simile he would have said, ‘I am like the vine, and you are as the branches.” The Master, however, wanted to make his point perfectly clear and part of that clarity was the fact that this divine intimacy transformed the identity of those involved. Metaphor does not use like or as, but instead, says that something is something. “I am the vine; you are the branches.” Our mutually interdependent relationship is not “like” vines and branches, it “is” vines and branches. It is a very subtle distinction but one that makes all the difference. Taking this theme and the Master’s metaphor, let’s turn now to the horizontal aspect of our relationships – human to human. Again, Christ makes a very subtle distinction. Cynthia Bourgeault explains this quite succinctly: One of the most familiar of Jesus’ teachings is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But we almost always hear that wrong. We hear “Love your neighbor as much as yourself.” (And of course, the next logical question then becomes, “But I have to love me first, don’t I, before I can love my neighbor?”) If you listen closely to Jesus’ teaching, however, there is no “as much as” in there. It’s just “Love your neighbor as yourself” – as a continuation of your very own being. It’s a complete seeing that your neighbor is you. There is not two individuals out there, one seeking to better herself at the price of the other, or to extend charity to the other; there are simply two cells of the one great Life. Each of them is equally precious and necessary. And as these two cells flow into one another, experiencing that one Life from the inside, they discover that “laying down one’s life for another” is not a loss of one’s self but a vast expansion of it. This expansion of our identity and our subsequent actions based on our sense of horizontal intimacy with others reveals two prongs that characterized Jesus’ ministry and mission perhaps more than anything else: wisdom and compassion. Christ revealed the true nature of God as a being of infinite love – a being of kenosis, who emptied himself into all creation through Christ. Since then, things have never been the same on this planet and they never will. Through the blessings of the Incarnation, blessings far too sublime for us to ever wrap our minds around, Christ revealed the heart of God. When I reflect on these themes, I suddenly and profoundly see John 3:16 in an entirely new light: For God gave his only begotten son, so that whosoever believes in him should never perish, but have everlasting life. Our mission is one of continuing incarnation, of becoming the hands, feet, and especially, the heart of Jesus in this hurting world. Nowhere does scripture reveal a more cogent, relevant, and profound truth than in Matthew 25:35-40, where the following exchange between Christ and the disciples is recorded: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in; naked and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty, and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to see you? And the King will answer and say to them, “Today I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers and sisters of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.” (NAS) This world we find ourselves living in is broken in many ways. Some theologians and biblical scholars call our world “fallen,” but I think this misses the mark somewhat. Is this world steeped in what Christians typically call “sin.?” Without a doubt. Is this world populated by a majority that operates on the premise that you should always “look out for Number 1” You bet it is. Is this world a place where trust and openness more often leads to pain than comfort? Just try it and see. My point here, however, is not to detail how much our world has fallen from God’s standards and ideals. No, my point is just the opposite: This world, with all its suffering, pain, and injustice, is the ideal place for us to grow spiritually through following Christ’s example of kenotic self-transcendence. This world, warts and all, provides us with the proper venue to hone our spiritual skills in ways a utopian society never could. Rather than seeking to find ways to accelerate our way back to our pristine spiritual homeland, we are to embrace this world, find out where God is working, and join in, utilizing the spiritual gifts that God has already placed in us. This is the way to become the optimal version of ourselves and, along the way, attain spiritual fulfillment. If the Church is to reach the growing post-Christian culture in ways that are relevant and effective, several things must be seen with clarity and focus. First, the primary question that must be answered is not, “How can we evangelize these people?” Instead, the relevant question must be, “How can I help you?” It is through this sort of proactive Christian service that the Church’s evangelistic witness can be best fostered. Secondly, the Church must reconsider how it can best present the truths of the faith in new wineskins that are more appropriate than the 19th Century model that is commonly used, even today. We must re-introduce people to God, to Christ, to the Scriptures, and to the Church and this must be done in ways that are both practical and palatable, given the parameters of the environment in which the Church now lives, moves, and has its being. (c) L.D. Turner 2011/2012/All Rights Reserved