4.3 - Discovering Our Life’s Work
“Something offered, because it may be a help, not because I am certain that I am right.”
Disclaimer.
I'd like to make this point simple and concise, but I'm not sure I'm skilled enough. It might be too short, not making the point. It might be too wordy, disguising the point. Worse yet, it might be too long and still miss the point. So, please bear with me.
At the birth of the blog, I searched for a source document that might give my thinking some structure - “a track to run on.” I chose the work of John in the Christian Bible, even though I knew that might filter my audience. Some might immediately "click out" because they have no interest in anything religious. On the other hand, serious Bible scholars would soon dismiss the work for being less scriptural than desired.
I could have used Lao Tzu, Suzuki, Alan Watts, Emerson, Thoreau, or Wendell Berry. Any of these have enough truth for the spirit to breathe into the soul.
However, it's the Bible that I find in my lineage. My maternal grandfather was a strict Bible reader. (Too literal, some might say.) My paternal pedigree is linked by a long line of Methodist ministers, from my great-grandfather on back.
It's as if John is a long-time family friend, and a “JHN” is in our DNA. It was through him that the warm breath of the spirit caused my heart to burn.
Don’t Neglect the Ancient Texts
So I say to my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and beyond, you come from a long line of wisdom seekers. And ancient wisdom is not just old news of a specific time. It is the accumulation of all wisdom up until its unique point in time.
Modern wisdom is a reflection of the ancient - a snapshot of wisdom’s continual unfolding. In The Mind of the Spirit, Craig S. Keener says, “Modern thinkers have much to learn from ancient ones, sometimes even the seeds of modern thought.” Job’s friend reminded him, “Look for a moment at ancient wisdom; consider the truths our ancestors learned. Our life is short, we know nothing at all; we pass like shadows across the earth. But let the ancient wise people teach you; listen to what they had to say.”
Therefore, don’t neglect the ancient texts.
A Second Pass by the Well - Space and Time
Today, let's make a second pass at part of John's story of Jesus and “the Samaritan woman,” or “the woman at the well.” Those labels tell us two things: where she is from and where she is now, and we use them to identify her. John O'Donoghue teaches that Space and Time are the foundation of human identity and perception, and these labels have to do with space, that is, her place. And this segment deals with this most human obsession with place.
Watch, in Chapter 4, verses 20 & 21. She says, “Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” He responds, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.”
First, consider, how unnerving this had to be for her, not only as a Samaritan, but as a human being. To her, God was a local entity, and to worship him, you had to go to him, either on Mount Gerazim or in Jerusalem! Either-Or. In later years, Muslims divided over Mecca or Medina. One or the other. She must be thinking, "Is there now a new place?”
It's ancient human nature to build a place for God. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and others built altars to fix God’s location. Solomon built the temple. At the Transfiguration, Peter wanted to build a Tabernacle.
Man seeks a place to place God, a place outside of himself, either up in heaven or in a Church. I get that. It's nice to have a place to visit where I can be in the presence of God. It's also convenient to be able to leave that spot and live in the presence of me. I want a sacred place for the creator of the universe. I just want it to be separate from me, so I can come and go as I please.
Because man's identity is founded on his time and "space," so must God’s. Right? Wrong! In one gentle sentence, Jesus debunks that myth by dislodging God from Mount Gerazim or Jerusalem. He’s says, in Wendell Berry’s words, "There are no unsacred places,” and restates what Moses heard 2000 years before, "the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” What a shock that had to be!
Watch How Jesus Teaches
Let’s step outside the story for a second. Previously, I had thought of Jesus as aloof, disengaged, somewhat "holier than thou." Now, I see him more as a preschool teacher showing a child how to hold a crayon or a Little League coach explaining the 6–4 –3 double play. His primary aim is not to show that he knows but to help the woman (and me) see and understand. Watch for this, as he continues.
23 But the hour is coming and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” I’ll admit that when Jesus speaks about the place of worship, his gentleness is not readily apparent. But in my imagination, I see no hint of judgment or superiority in his words. Instead, he seems to be saying to her, “It’s alright. You couldn’t have known any better. You’re simply following the customs and traditions that have been passed down to you. Your ancestors didn’t have all the information. In reality, neither of our communities fully understands how or where to worship. However, my people (the Jews) have a greater understanding of this, and the truth will ultimately be revealed through them.”
As much as I want to put God in his place, and be separate, he seeks unity or "oneness" with me. As Michelangelo displayed on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the Creator of the Universe not only created me but is continually reaching toward me, seeking oneness. Jesus painted a better “word picture” of this with his scene of The Prodigal’s father, sitting at the window, watching, and then running to embrace his returning son.
Contrast this with the common misconception of God as a distant, ancient being, whom I must seek by going to the mountain, Jerusalem, or a specific church. This kind of connection is on the physical or emotional level - involving blessings, curses, guilt, or forgiveness. Jesus presents a vastly different picture: God seeking man. He urges me to change my paradigm, imagining God as my present source, my Father, who is as close as my silent spirit and searching for me. His kind of connection involves interaction, giving and receiving, and an ongoing dialogue.
Something to Sit With
Sit with this thought for a minute, "I am the center of his intention.” Wow! Even if you've been educated beyond belief in a "creator" or have a problem with the pronoun “his,” your silent center will sense this longing. Be careful, though, or you’ll begin to sense that this longing is mutual - your spirit also seeking his.
What further meaning could be in the words “worship in spirit and truth?” Now that I’m aware that I am to have a "spiritual" or “open consciousness," worship involves placing myself in a receptive state for guidance, just as a son would do with his father or an apprentice would do with his master. (“Thy will be done”) I now know this guidance, these thoughts, (to me) will possess an energy that is used to convert ideas into actions. (through me) As a further result, these thoughts-turned-into-actions will support the evolution of my consciousness.
A New Concept of Time and Identity
25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”Can you imagine! On the heels of his first explosive truth about God's place, Jesus set off a second salvo in her consciousness - this time, dismantling her and my preconceptions of time and identity.
Time. My humanness wants God to be there, or there - just not here; likewise, I want God to be then, or then - just not now. I am much more comfortable with a God of the past or future than a God of the now – the right now. No matter how much I want God to dwell within the walls of space and the bounds of time, Jesus is clear that he simply will not. Jesus brings the woman back to the present by turning her “he will" into his “I am."
God is spirit, outside of space and time, living in the ever-present "here" and eternal “now.” I love the romance of memories and the thrill of anticipation, but if I am to experience this relationship with the Creator of the universe, the Father of my spirit, it must be here, and it must be now, or it will not be. Sit with this for a minute and listen for the whisper, “I am here, the one speaking to you.” Remember, the magic is in the moment – this moment.
(When I discuss the concept of time, I feel like a first-grader trying to explain algebra. If you're interested in the subject, please refer to someone who understands it better. In the CS Lewis book, Mere Christianity, you'll find helpful analogies in his chapter called Time and Beyond Time.)
An unusual thought occurred to me: All your expectations, hopes, and dreams are also right before you. Please don’t leave them in a box and on the shelf called “the future,” for soon that shelf will be relabeled "the past."
Pull them down and have a lovely conversation with them now.
Identity. What can we learn from this exchange about our identity? First of all, we need to contrast Jesus’ idea with the current consensus. O'Donoghue said that the foundation of human identity is Space and Time. Keener expanded with other components, like our personal past, our family models, our parental models, and others’ views of us. While true, these are just a part of our story.
According to these terms, Jesus is a day laborer’s son from the backwater town of Nazareth, and she is a woman five times married, living outside the bounds of accepted morality. John wants us to see that Jesus believes there is much more to who we are. He wants the woman to see that an identity based on your mistakes is a case of “mistaken identity.” She is a child of the Creator with the potential for his energy, and his life to flow to and through her, while Jesus identifies as "he," the long-awaited Son who "now is.”
What would I say to a future great-grandson or daughter about their identity? “Don’t let us hold you back!” While you may have our eyes, smile, sense of humor, or love of fried chicken, don't let the inherited traits of your ancestors be your total identity. Go inside, in silence, until you discover that you are a child of the Creator, then allow his energy to flow to and through your physical traits. Become the eternal you that you were intended to be. That, my child, is our life's work.
“I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.”
In the next segment, we will see what happens when this energy starts flowing through our “woman at the well” and becomes actions. We’ll see the Butterfly Effect. You know “when one butterfly flaps its wings” and all that.
Key Takeaways
Don’t neglect the ancient text. True wisdom has a timeless nature.
God is spirit, beyond space and time.
My life’s work is to embrace and transcend my humanness, allowing the eternal spirit to energize my inherited traits in my unique “space and time.”
