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First Inquiry Dear Inquirer: What is
it you seek? If you are seeking anything at all,
anything which might take your own spiritual life deeper, or expand your
understanding of the mystery of God, the meaning of his Christ, the work of the
Spirit, the meaning of your relationships, the focus of your loyalties, you have
already engaged one way of understanding the Christian faith and life. It is
a life of seeking. There are various ways of naming what
is sought. Sometimes how one names what is sought is not so important. In
fact, part of seeking is finding the name for that which one seeks. There are similar metaphors which go
with the metaphor of seeking. Pilgrimage has been both a serious
practice of Christian people and a metaphor which captures the heart of
Christian faith and life. The pilgrim seeks the presence of God in places which
are holy and disclose God’s meaning. God is found not only in the destination
but in the journey itself. Pilgrimage moves at its own pace and has a kind of
devotional quality about it. When walking was the principal way of travel, the
very act of walking was part of the spiritual exercise. All of these facets of
actual pilgrimage provide rich associations for the metaphorical pilgrimage of
faith. “The Journey” is a similar
metaphor, albeit one which sounds a little more focused on the destination than
pilgrimage might. One could say that the faith and life of a Christian is a
journey toward home, toward friendship with God, toward the place of rest and
peace. The earliest Christians called their movement simply “the way.” This
suggests a journey with a clear sense of the destination, and a sense of the
disciplines required for the journeying. “The way” suggests connections with
each of the metaphors we’ve talked about; with seeking, pilgrimage, and with
journey. Other metaphors suggest that the
Christian faith and life is a kind of struggle, like an athletic contest
in its milder forms, like war in its more extreme forms. Jesus himself said, “I
came not to bring peace, but a sword.” He also said other things suggesting
this was not the only metaphor for life in God’s kingdom. If the venture is not
seen as war sometimes it is understood as resistance against oppressive
forces, something like warfare.. Often those forces are located in the culture
and its institutions in which the Christian lives. In the New Testament the
Book of Revelation elaborates on this metaphor, often extravagantly. Ancient
ascetical practices sought to free the believer from attachments to the things
of culture which made resistance impossible. In all of these metaphors there is
a sense of being “alien.” While we are here, we do not belong here. We are in
this world, but not of it. Other metaphors work off the idea of
growth. The movement in our lives is developmental, a way of ascent,
from crude and immature faith and practice toward more refined and mature faith
and practice. This metaphor dominates the literature on the spiritual life.
More recently it has been cast in psychological categories. Some metaphors speak more of the
Christian faith and life as something deeply internal. One of the
mystics writes of “interior castles.” Others speak more of external
practices. Some metaphors speak of the way as difficult, even painful.
Jesus said, “the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and
there are few who find it.” [Matt 7:14] But others suggest the way is as
easy as breathing. Jesus also said, “…my yoke is easy and; my burden is
light.” [Matt 11:30] So what is it like for you now? What
metaphors fit you? Are there other metaphors than those noted above which
interpret your own seeking now? An exercise: Make a time line of your life and
note significant events in your life on it. Mark moments which seemed
especially joyful, or transcendent, which seemed to take you in the presence of
the Holy. Make some notes about those moments. What were they like? Are they
associated with church? Are there other contexts which seem to support them? Talk to a friend about their life and moments of transcendence. What do you learn? |
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