Living Inside God's Imagination

 

Recently I came across a comment that intrigued me. It was made by the Catholic theologian, William Cavanaugh. He encouraged us to 'Live inside God's imagination'. I wonder what his suggestion means for you'?What does it mean to 'Live inside God's imagination?'

'Imagination' usually refers to our ability to form images and concepts of things not present or discerned by our five senses. For example, when the alchemists searched for the philosophers' stone, they finally realized their quest was futile in the material world because it was an inner journey. The goal of their search was already hidden within themselves. So rather than trying to transform metals into gold, they discovered the real gold was learning to become a living inspiration of the Divine, Creative imagination.

To live inside God's imagination then is to discover this Divine Presence within ourselves and in all creation. This sounds very simple, doesn't it'? I find it quite exciting!

Earlier this week, for example, my wife and I explored one of our city's walkways that wound its way beside a bush covered stream. It was a very beautiful walk. The trees were alive with blossom and bird song, transforming our wander into a sacred pilgrimage. I am sure you have experienced something similar while watching a glorious sunset; or a bird delighting in the gift of flight; or a delighted young mum gazing at her tiny baby.

Francis of Assisi also discovered the same joy in nature. Thomas of Celano, the first Franciscan biographer, says St Francis responded to the beauty of creation with an overflowing sense of joy that caused him to burst out in praise to God, because in their beauty,

In their beauty, he discovered Beauty itself,
and by following the footprints imprinted on creation
he was able to follow his beloved everywhere. (1)

To live inside God's imagination is an invitation to live as Jesus lived. It is to discover first hand that all of creation points towards their Creator. We read that Jesus talked about the fields and animals, the birds and trees, the crops and their produce – including bread and wine. Everything for him was a sacrament of God's Presence. All things were invitations to live within God's imagination. This view echoed throughout our Sacred Scriptures:

Ask the animals, and they will teach you; - '
the birds of the air and they will tell you; '
ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know...
in whose hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of every human being. (2)

We all have our images and representations of God. I know I have mine. It is worth asking ourselves whether these understandings and beliefs help or prevent us from seeing the real God at work in our lives?

Sometimes we make things difficult for ourselves by not appreciating the depths of our faith. I know I can substitute the wondrous and life-giving mystery of God with something that diminishes me. I do this so easily when I think I am the centre of my world, or that God doesn't care.

Living inside God's imagination is about presenting my precious, vulnerable inner child, with all of its foibles, to God, in his temple – which is the whole world.

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

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1. Thomas of Celano, The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul CXXIV, 65

2. Job 12:7-10

42. Poem 8: The Mystery of Faith

If you judge people,
you have no time to love them.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

One of the most amazing people of our generation would be Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She spent most of her life caring for the poor and marginalized. She was formally recognized as a Saint of the Church in 2016. This title is usually reserved for those who have lived and died an exemplary and holy life. Yet Mother Teresa spent long periods of her life doubting the presence of God. Such an experience is not unusual in our journey of faith. It is traditionally referred to as a 'Dark Night of the Soul'. We read in the Gospels how Jesus faced his own Dark Night at the end of his life. Even he pulled back from entering the darkness as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me' (Matthew 26:39). Nor was he spared the spiritual suffering from loss:'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' (Matthew 27:46). Or the pain of having to let go as he uttered, 'It is finished' (John 19:30). Then, finally, he gave in to the ultimate self-surrender. 'Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit' (Luke 23:46). However, Jesus was not left alone in the grave of his dark night. It gave birth to the promise of resurrection joy, 'Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.' (Matthew 10:39).

In this regard, as we reflect on the mystery of faith, both Jesus and Mother Teresa practised what is called 'faith of the body'. This is compared to 'faith of the mind' or believing what they had been taught. They both “Acted as though they had faith, and faith was given to them”.

Poem 8
The Mystery of Faith

 

Once, two people went to church to pray,
one was very religious and the other, a common lout.
The religious person
stood up at the front, and said out loud:
'Oh, Love,
I thank you that I am not like other people
who are greedy, dishonest, impure,
and especially like that lout over there.
I am so spiritual!
I even give away a tenth of all my income!'

But the other person
stood alone in a distant corner
and didn't even dare to look up,
but with a gesture of despair muttered,
'O Love, free me from all my faults.'

I tell you, this one went home with Love in his heart,
rather than the other.
So when you pray to Love, be quick to say:
'Forgive me, Love, as I forgive others'. (1)

If two people
can make peace with each other,
they will say to the mountain which faces them,
'Move from here!' It will be moved. (2)

Salt is good;
but if salt has lost its flavour,
how can you renew it?
It is no longer good for anything but is thrown away.
Be flavoured, then, with Love's salt,
and be at peace with one another.(3)

 To close this series of reflections on 'Love Songs of a Jewish Carpenter, I leave you with a saying of Mahatma Gandhi which echoes the ethos of Jesus:

Love never claims, it ever gives;
Love never suffers, never resents;
never revenges itself.
Where there is love there is life.

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga
May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

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1. Luke 18:10-14; Matthew 6:12
2. Thomas 48
3. Mark 9:50; Matthew 5:13

41. Poem 7: Love's Way

 

The day of my spiritual awakening
was the day I saw and knew I saw
all things in God and God
in all things.

Mechthild of Magdeburg

As part of my Franciscan discipline, I read each morning the appointed passage from Pat McCloskey's book Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi. Pat is a Franciscan priest belonging to the Order of Franciscan Minors that traces its history back to St Francis of Assisi. The theme for the reflections for September reminds us of St Francis' generosity to the needs of the poor and dispossessed. Regardless of his limited resources, he always treated those in need as people created and loved by God. His humble service on behalf of the poor influenced many rich and powerful people to reconsider the way they treated others. Any admiration he received, Francis always deferred to the inspiration Jesus of Nazareth.

The following poem is based on some stories Jesus told. Jesus often encouraged his listeners to travel light – both in their possessions and in their attitudes towards those they encountered. His sayings still challenge us on the way we view and treat the poor, and whether we need to change that perspective.

I find his sayings very challenging.  How about you?

Poem 7

Love's Way 

 
If you wish to be like Love:
then Love is like a traveller
who came across a wounded man
lying on the side of the road.
He had been attacked by robbers
who stripped him and beat him up,
and left him half dead.
When Love saw the wounded man,
she was moved with compassion.
Tenderly, she bandaged his wounds,
sat him on her own animal
and took him to an inn to look after him.
The next day she gave the innkeeper
two silver coins, saying:
'Take care of him; and when I come back,
I will repay you any extra expense'.(1)

So, when you give or do a good deed,
don't even let your left-hand know
what your right hand is doing,
so that your kindness may be a secret.
If you have money, don't lend it at interest.
Rather, give it to someone who can't pay you back.   

Give open-handedly,
and Love will pour back into your lap
a full measure of her delights,
pressed down, sifted and overflowing!(2)

 
Congratulations to those who go hungry,
so the stomach of one of Love's children
in want may be filled.(3)

If anyone should hit you on one cheek,
Love does not retaliate;
she offers them the other one to strike as well!
Or when someone is stealing your coat
Love would ask if they would like to take the shirt as well!
If anyone asks you to go one mile with them,
Love would do more and go a second mile.(4)

Make allowances for other people
and you will find
they will make allowances for you.
If you love only those who love you,
what credit is that?
Rather, forgive, and you will be forgiven.
It is so easy to see another person's faults
and not your own.
Before you criticise someone,
first, make sure you have no faults yourself!(5)

Be on your guard against
wanting to have the approval of others;
to walk around in fine clothes,
and be greeted correctly
and with respect in public;
to have the best seats when you go out,
and have people speak well of you!
The next thing you will be doing
everything for show.
Love is not like this.
Rather, congratulations
to those who are humble
for you have become Love's home.(6) 

 

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

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1.Luke 10:30-35

2. Matthew 6:3,4; Thomas 95; Luke 6:38

3. Thomas 69:2

4. Luke 6:29; Matthew 5:41

5. Luke 6:31,32,36; Thomas 26

6. Mark 12:38; Matthew 23:5; 5:3

Poem 6: Love's Acceptance

Trust in God.
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you.
All things pass.
God never changes.
Patience achieves all it strives for.
Those who have God find they lack nothing.
God alone suffices.

St Teresa of Ávila

Worry and anxiety can affect our lives and knock us 'off our centre'. Here I am referring to the everyday concerns and issues that creep up on us and suddenly create an emotional rain-cloud on a sunny day. When this happens, we don't want to be told, 'Don't worry about it!' We want to be understood.

I also find time is usually a good healer. By the next day, I may look back at the cause of my worry with new insight and less angst.

Other ways that help to recentre me is to distract my mind with some activity. Going for a walk, for example, becoming absorbed in a creative hobby, or talking to a wise and trusted friend. Mindfulness and Meditation practices are also helpful. They encourage us to breathe out, to let go, relax, and be present, as St Teresa of Avila and Jesus of Nazareth suggest in today's reflection.

Poem 6

Love's Acceptance 

If your child was hungry
and asked you for something to eat,
would you ever consider giving them a stone?
If you then, as contrary as you are,
naturally give your children good gifts,
will not Love, who created you,
give you good things when you ask? (1)  

Do not worry about your life,
what you are going to eat
or drink or wear.
There is more to life than food and clothing. 

Look at the birds in the sky.
They never sow nor harvest
or store their food in barns.
Yet Love feeds them.
Are you not as valuable as they?
Can any of you add a single hour to your life
by worrying? 

Do why worry about your clothing?
Notice how the wild flowers grow;
they neither work nor weave;
yet I tell you,
even the richest King, in all his glory
was not clothed like one of these. 

If Love clothes the flowers of the field,
which are alive today and tomorrow
have withered and gone,
won't Love then care for you? (2) 

 Five sparrows are sold in the market
for two coins.
Yet not one of them is forgotten
in Love's sight.
In fact, even the hairs of your head
are all numbered!
Love values you more
than you will ever comprehend. (3) 

 Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga
May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

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1. Matthew 7:9-11

2. Matthew 6:25-30

3. Luke 12:6,7

The Poem is taken from my book, Awakening the Spirit: Poems of Divine Love, Tawera Press,2011

39. Poem 5: Love's Communion

 

If the soul is vigilant
and withdraws from all distraction
and abandons its own will
then the spirit of God invades it
and it can be reborn
because it is free to do so.
Abba Cronius

 

I don't know about you, but even as a retired person, I find life still is very full and busy. And while I value the importance of maintaining an intentional time for reflection and meditation each day, other things soon crowd in if I let them.  I need time for focused reflection if I want to grow my spiritual practice. This includes my awareness of the Divine Presence within me and in all creation, including the people I meet. 

It is also something which the 3rd century Desert monk was referring to in the quotation above. In his way, Abba Cronius was echoing the Gospel words of Jesus, that also inspired the following 'Love Song of a Jewish Carpenter':

Poem 5: Love's Communion

When you desire to speak with Love,
simply withdraw into the stillness of your heart and say:
'O Love,
you created me, and sustain me
and hold my life in your hands:
make yourself known!' (1)

However, you can never own Love.
Nor can you ever possess her.
It is so difficult
for those who have a lot of possessions
to understand this.
In fact, it is easier for a camel
to squeeze through the eye of a needle
than for someone who is possessed by wealth
to find Love.
For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also.(2)

There was once a person
who was very wealthy.
He was at a loss to know
what he should do with his riches.
'I know', he said,
'I shall invest my money
so that I will be even richer,
then I will have everything I need.'
He was thinking these thoughts in his heart,
but that very night he died.(3)

If you, then, try to make your life secure
you will end up losing everything.
But if you are prepared
to invest your life in Love,
you will preserve it
and even more, will be given to you!(4)

Love has no need to have somewhere
to lay her head.
For it rests already upon your heart.
So, when you pray,
you do not need to use many words.
Simply say:
' Love! Provide each day
whatever is needed
to sustain me'.(5)

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga
May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

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1. Matthew 6:6; Luke 11:2
2. Mark 10:23,25; Thomas 47; Matthew 6:21
3.Thomas 63
4.Luke 17:33; Luke 8:18
5.Matthew 8:20; Matthew 6:11

38.Poem 4: Finding Love

In the temple of the soul our God abides
Waiting for the soul to awaken to love's call.

Sr Roselle Schaefer. OFM.

We all have an intense desire to be loved and nurtured. It is one of our most basic and fundamental needs. We also have a similar desire to love and care for others. These are both programmed into our DNA. How we meet and fulfil these natural desires can be one of the most complicated and challenging experiences of our lives. Part of our struggle is caused by our need to be also independent. Yet we don't understand that the fabric of our life is already woven into the reality we call God. God is the ground of all being. To use contemporary language, God is the 'unifying field' in whom everything is 'entangled' or inseparable. No wonder the Hebrew poet asks: 'Where can I flee from your presence?'. This means 'finding' love is one of the most natural and most difficult challenges of our life. Even Jesus acknowledged this:

Finding Love

Ask, and don't stop asking,
and you will receive;
seek, and don't stop searching,
and you will find;
knock, and keep on knocking,
and Love will open her door to you.(1)

For Love is hidden like yeast,
taken by a woman and buried in flour.
In the secret depths of your heart,
Love does her work
and becomes food for the hungry.(2)

Or, Love is like a woman
who was carrying home a sack full of flour.
While she was walking the sack split
and the flour began to spill
along the road behind her.
When she got home
she discovered her sack was empty.(3)

Therefore, you cannot see Love.
You cannot say, 'Look, here is Love!'
or 'There it is!'
For, in fact,
Love is already spread out upon the earth
and people don't notice it.(4)

Wherever you are,
Love is there with you.
Whatever you do,
Love is there to assist you.
Wherever you go
Love is already there to welcome you.(5)
So if you want to find Love,
you need to have the
openness and curiosity of a little child,(6)
because Love already dwells within your heart
and is all around you! (7)

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga
May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

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1. Luke 11:9-10
2. Thomas 96
3 .Thomas 97
4. Luke 17:20; Thomas 113
5. Thomas 77
6. Mark 10:14,15
7. Luke 17:21

These poems are taken from Phil's book, Awakening the Spirit: Poems of Divine Love, Tawera Press, 2011

37. Poem 3: Love's Likeness

I believe nothing more important in life than love. It restores meaning and purpose, faith and hope, and opens new possibilities when we thought there were none. This is also true of God’s love for us. This is because in God's economy,

All beings are interconnected in the boundless love of the Divine,
and so we are both beholden to and responsible for one another. (1)

These sentiments are captured in the following Love Song I wrote to illustrate 'Love's Likeness'. It recalls the story Jesus told of the Prodigal Son.

Poem 3: Love's Likeness

Love is like a loving parent
of whom you ask
for a share of your inheritance
so you can go off and enjoy yourself.
And Love agrees.

However, you soon squander
all your inheritance,
and you become destitute.
Eventually, you wake up
and come to your senses.
You decide to return home
and beg Love to take you back.

When you draw near,
you discover Love has been waiting
patiently for your return,
and runs to welcome you.
Within Love's warm embrace
you find your home once more,
and tell Love the words
that weigh heavily upon your heart:
'I have been so stupid;
I no longer deserve
to be called your child.'

But Love is overjoyed:
'I thought I had lost you, my child,
but you have returned!
I thought you were dead,
but, look, you are alive again!'
And that night you celebrate.2

Julian of Norwich once said that: 'God loved us before we were made, and this love has never diminished and never shall'.

Would this be true for you in your life experience?

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga
May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

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1. Mirabai Starr, The interfaith observer, 2013.

2. Luke 15:11-24

3. Chilson, Richard (2001). Yeshua of Nazareth: Spiritual Master. IN: Sorin Books