7.1 - Rhythm and Rejection
The Rhythms of Life: Insights from Contemplation and Swimming
Have you ever had one of those moments where everything just clicks into place, and you feel completely in sync with the world around you? That happened to me recently, and I wanted to share some insights that came from both contemplation and a good swim.
All Beings Are Solar-Powered
During contemplation, I had this realization: all beings are solar-powered. Think about it—there’s only energy. Through photosynthesis, the energy from the sun causes plants to grow. Animals eat the plants that cause energy to flow through them.
We, in turn, eat the plants and some animals and this food produces energy through us. It’s not “your” energy or “my” energy. It’s just energy flowing and expressing itself through each of us individually. When we apply this concept to the life force, it’s clear that life is just energy being expressed in various forms.
Removing Resistance in Life and Swimming
Resistance can really impede this natural flow of life force. Obstacles and resistance can block energy, and it’s essential to be mindful and work on removing these barriers.
This idea really hit home during my swim on June 29, 2023. As I swam, I focused on removing any resistance and discovered a wonderful rhythm. Freestyle swimming is a full-body rhythmic exercise, and I made a conscious effort to notice if I was getting out of rhythm or resisting in any way. Whether the rhythm was fast or slow did not matter, it had this amazing full-body feel to it.
The Natural Rhythms of Life
Increasing our energy capacity involves a cycle of depletion and restoration, work and rest, similar to the natural rhythms of life. Just like the systolic and diastolic rhythms, circadian rhythms, monthly cycles, and annual seasons, life has its own rhythmic flow. According to Dr. Anodea Judith, "All life is rhythmic; we are a mass of vibrations that miraculously resonate together as a single system.”
Forcing life to fit into our structure or schedule is just not natural and causes dissonance rather than resonance. Indeed, we should watch for signs of dissonance in the form of anxiety as warning signs that we are forcing things to happen and, instead, allow life to flow naturally. By being mindful and aligning ourselves with the natural rhythms, we can better harness the life force and energy that flows through us all. Jesus was an expert at it.
So next time you feel out of sync, whether in contemplation or during a physical activity like swimming, walking, or running, remember to remove resistance and find your rhythm. Let the energy flow naturally and see where it takes you. Life has a beautiful way of balancing itself out if we just allow it. The American mystic Joel S. Goldsmith says, "All I need or ever shall need is to hear that still small voice within me and rest in the rhythm of God.”
Rejection Hurts
In our last segment, we saw Jesus demonstrate how to follow the flow of the spirit and fully live each day without trying to influence outcomes. He showed beyond doubt that life is a step-by-step process and encouraged his disciples to follow his example. Watch for it in this segment; look for his example as the family gets involved.
7:1 After this, Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. 2 The Jewish Festival of Booths was near. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing, 4 for no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 (For not even his brothers believed in him.) 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil. 8 Go to the festival yourselves. I am not attending this festival, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
John tells this story immediately after the difficult teachings of “eating my flesh and drinking my blood,” which cost Jesus many, if not most, of his followers. These were people he had walked with, talked with, shared meals with, and perhaps even healed. He knew their faces. He knew their names. He knew their families. He loved them. If I’m not careful, it’s easy to paint Jesus as uncaring and a bit dismissive. By that, I mean, “I am the truth, and if you don't agree with me, to hell with you.” Nothing could be further from the truth. This rejection was heavy, and it hurt.
“I am a human being, and nothing human is foreign to me.”
Again, the timing is critical and makes me think that John is reminding us that Jesus is a human being and leading us to imagine how he must have felt. So, let’s imagine sharing our deepest secrets with ten friends and eight "unfriended" us, cutting off all communication. That would hurt. Karen and I experienced an inkling of that when our granddaughter died, and we lost contact with some friends. We understood. Some people are just not equipped to handle death, especially a child’s death that shakes the foundations of your faith. We understood, but it hurts all the same. If I multiply that by a thousand, I can begin to feel the slow, deliberate throb of Jesus' downcast heart.
Bottom line: It’s easy to think Jesus was not subject to human emotions of discouragement or despair but don’t be deceived by popular Christianity. He was 100% human: We know he wept openly at the loss of Lazarus and sobbed over the city of Jerusalem. The writer of Hebrews says he was known for offering prayers with loud crying and tears. I don't want you to overlook this. Jesus lived life fully and felt deeply.
Building Your Brand - Marketing by Miracles?
Now, let's jump back into the scene. After being abandoned by many, he returned home to teach there, only to find his closest family disbelieving - yet encouraging him to perform tricks or "miracles on demand.” “Show yourself to the world,” they urged. They wanted him to use “miracle marketing” to make something happen and build his following. "Come see the man who healed a leper." Jesus understood that they didn't understand, but that still had to hurt. Jesus felt abandoned with a capital “A,” but he kept walking step by step, day by day.
What can this story teach us about finding our rhythm and living from the center of our being? First, Jesus demonstrates that there is a timing to the spirit being converted into physical action. It's not about making things, even good things, happen. The spiritual life has a three-dimensional rhythm comprised of what to do, how to do it, and the appropriate time. There is a "flow" to it. As my friend Bill Thomas says, "If it's right, it's right; if it's not, it's a lot of hard work.” Secondly, if you seek agreement and acceptance from those closest to you, you will be disappointed. Spiritual consciousness is not something that is passed down through or even understood by families.
Rolling with the Flow
Let's take this "flow" a little further. Think of “living from the center” as a continual conversion of the spiritual into the physical - the intangible into the tangible - thoughts into actions. The spiritual is the cause; the physical is its effect. In nature, we can see this in the seed becoming the plant and bearing fruit. The intangible code exists within the seed but only becomes tangible as the plant unfolds over time - but not in a straight, linear fashion. A gardener understands that growth happens in bursts with its own rhythm and frequency. The cucumber you didn’t even notice yesterday is ready to be picked today.
Here's another example. We know that we should love our neighbor, but how? We learn to sense what to do and when to do it. Over time, this love will develop a rhythm of the proper actions at the appropriate time. If it feels like serendipity or synchronicity, then that is the flow of the spirit. Look at the Good Samaritan. He didn't actively seek out someone to assist but readily provided help to someone he encountered on his journey.
The process is simple but not easy because human nature gets in the way. Our minds tend to tell us, “There’s something else you should've done.” Or “You’re not doing enough or being enough.” Let’s pause for a moment and consider the possibility that we have done everything we were supposed to do, and the next task will be as obvious to us as the injured man in the good Samaritan's path.
Resting in the Rythm
The phrase “chop wood, carry water” comes from a verse by the Chinese poet Layman Pang, who lived in the late eighth century. The phrase is part of a popular Zen Buddhist dictum that states that one must chop wood and carry water before and after enlightenment. The idea is that the approach to the task changes, but not the task itself. For example, before enlightenment, one might chop wood while their mind is elsewhere, but after enlightenment, their mind would be fully focused on the activity.
Until then, we find peace as we focus our attention on the mundane tasks required for our unique role in life. Remember, we are not seeking tasks that we could do but those things that “only we can do” and are responsible for doing.
Again, Goldsmith says, “The rhythm of the universe flows through us. Rest in the rhythm of God.” That is the rhythm we are seeking.
10 But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but, as it were, in secret. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was considerable complaining about him among the crowds. While some were saying, “He is a good man,” others were saying, “No, he is deceiving the crowd.” 13 Yet no one would speak openly about him for fear of the Jews.
Here's another example of Jesus waiting for the proper timing. His life is fluid, not stagnant. There is no playbook, no rules to follow but an unfolding of his understanding and the corresponding actions. It’s also a reminder that when operating from a place of spiritual consciousness, it is common for others to misunderstand and react to varying degrees - from turning away to turning against.
Key Takeaways
Jesus demonstrated living in the moment and following the flow of the spirit without attempting to control or influence outcomes. His life is portrayed as a step-by-step process guided by spiritual timing and following a natural rhythm.
The concept of "living from the center" involves converting spiritual insights into physical actions at the right time, akin to the natural growth process in plants.
There's a call to find peace in performing mundane tasks and fulfilling one's unique role. Trusting the flow of the spirit ensures that the necessary actions will become evident in due time.
Despite often being viewed as divine and detached, Jesus experienced human emotions deeply, such as rejection and hurt. This teaches that operating from a place of spiritual consciousness can lead to varying reactions from others, ranging from misunderstanding to outright opposition.
