February 13, 2007
*heavy sigh* blogging from the office...
O Christ, you are united to every human being without exception. Still more, risen from the dead, you come to heal the secret wound of the soul. And for each person the gates of an infinite goodness of heart are opened. Through such a love, our lives change little by little.
Yes, I am blogging from the office. It's sad to be certain. But this is the "city that works" whatever that means. Schools are open. The park district is open. I must be a wuss...or the only sane one around. I would like to think the latter. But the jury is still out.The meditation to the right is from the book Peace of Heart in all Things. It is one of many Taize resources that I have with me. Today's prayer and reflection are good for me to mull over. In reading it, I found myself working backward.
"Little by little..." This has certainly been my journey. And it has been encouraged and affirmed by spiritual directors and mentors. I realize that for some Baptist traditions, this may seem a little weak. Where is that great coversion experience? But that is not how God has come to me...or at least I have not been willing to meet God in that overwhelming way. I have been taking that great leap of faith little by little. Slowly my faith has grown...sometimes in fits and starts. But, I pray this daily, that God will redeem me. I believe. Heal thou my unbelief.
"Risen from the dead, you come to heal the secret wound of the soul." This is the bridge for me. Healing and faith is a tricky combination. 
So often I find myself rushing to the magical end of the paradigm. I pray. God heals. I walk home. But this is not what is going on here. Little by little I am healed from what ails me. I know that there is a tradition in the Church of miraculous healing as well as "theotic" purifiying where it is said that the body of the saints do not decompose after death. I will leave that to the Orthodox. It's not that I disagree, it is that I have no place to parse that out in my faith. But I do know that through things like AA, that my body and soul have been nourished. Through song and prayer, my anxiety has been lifted, my heart has been healed. And, finally, I know that what cannot be healed in me because I am mortal and not immortal, will have its final resting place in God through the Love given witness in the resurrection. It is the ultimate act of justice and mercy. Even death cannot keep me from the Love of God. Well, Paul said so at least. I'll cling to that.
"O Christ, you are united to every human being..." Yes! I think that I knew I knew this from my first breath. It has always been the theological foil for me...the litmus test, the final measure. It took years of musing and confusion to accept that that the Church offers this in its Truth if not always in its practice. So, I joined the Church in Truth allowing for sin to exist in its practice...in the hopes that God would redeem us within the Church through Christ's resurrection (little by little as necessary) and our life together would reflect such Love.
Well, those are my thoughts for today. This coming Sunday is the feast of the Transfiguration. For me, the above is the whole point of the revealed Christ in the Transfiguration. Light from Light. True God from True God. Amen.
Wow.
Posted by tripp at February 13, 2007 09:38 AM