The Divine Within

Based on the popularity of my blog post last week, I thought that I would expand a bit on some of the ideas that I put forth.

Earlier in the week I was reading a secular book, actually one on sports, when I came across an interesting statement made by the author. He commented that Eastern religions were very inward looking while Western religion (particularly Christianity) was outward looking and idol based. This is not saying that Christians worship idols per se, but just that we worship something tangible that exists outside ourselves.

After pondering this thought for a few minutes I became overcome with a tinge of sadness. I began to feel this way because I realized that the author was right, mainstream American Christianity is totally outward facing. Many of my fellow Christians put forth so much emphasis  and on their actions. Actions such as “accepting Jesus into your life”, attending various services, and worrying whether or not their unruly teenage son is saved. Too many of my brother Christians believe that a relationship with God is defined by “us”, “by our actions”.

I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised should I? Go figure Americans believing that they are the key component in a relationship, unbelievable.

Alright now this is the point that I am going to lay some truth on you.

Your relationship with God is not dependent on YOU!

There I said it, go ahead and take a massive sigh, gather yourself, and then comment about how I am the greatest heretic since Nestorius. Yep, your relationship with God has nothing to do with accepting Jesus into your life, and everything to do with the nature of you as a creation of His.

In fact you had a relationship with God before you even existed, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart”. Or at least that is what God told Jeremiah in the first Chapter of the book that bears his name.

Nope you don’t have a relationship with God because you “accepted Him into your life,” you have a relationship with God because you exist.

A Drawing of Christ Crucified by St. John of the Cross

The only variable concerning our relationship with God that we as humans control is the free will to commit sin. After all sin is the only way that one can distance himself from the Creator. One can claim to be saved all he wants, but if that relationship is tarnished by sin, the connection between himself and God is tarnished.

So what does this have to do with your last blog, you know the one about self discovery? Well I am so glad you asked, now let me explain.

Or, actually let St. John of the Cross explain. He can do a much better job than I could ever dream of.

"The very pure spirit does not bother about the regard of others or human respect, but communes inwardly with God, alone and in solitude as to all forms, and with delightful tranquility, for knowledge of God is received in divine silence." 

It seems interesting to me that my guy, John of the Cross, wrote this during the three year period that he was literally imprisoned in a broom closet by his fellow Carmelite brothers. During his time in the deepest of solitude John learned that within the confines of himself is where God truly resides.

How selfish is it of us to believe that Jesus Christ needs our invitation before He can play a role in his life?

Guess what, God doesn’t need that invitation. God is such a part of you, that if He you took him away from the equation, not only would you not exist but existence wouldn’t exist. The cold hard facts are that God is an integral part of everyone's lives whether they believe in him or not and the only way to truly develop a relationship with him is to look inwardly and find that divine silence that so many of the Saints talk about.

Don’t get me wrong things like beauty, reason, and art can and do deepen one's relationship with God, but only because those things reflect the glory of the most beautiful thing that exists: your transcendent soul. The same soul that makes you made in His image.

So you may be wondering, if this solitude inducing search for the Divine within in oneself is such an integral part of our Christian faith then why haven’t I heard of it before?

Well you have, it is called prayer. When you pray you are not throwing up transcendent requests so some God light years away. No you are speaking intimately with the God who resides in the depths of your soul.

Next week I will address the questions of how to pray this way and also how the Catholic Church and specifically the sacraments play a role in this idea of the interior and intimate Divine.