Mystic Musings: Lent 3/14

“No one knows his name—a man who lives on the streets and walks around in rags.

Once I saw this man in a dream. He and God were constructing an extraordinary temple.”

St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th century Catholic saint and mystic

Photo by Matt Collamer @breakyourboundaries4

Our culture tells us who is important—those who hold political power, those with degrees, those with great wealth and assets, those who hold influence. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 19:14 of the Christian Scriptures, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” Jesus presents us with an upside down world. He seems to be trying to convince us that God’s values often don’t align with our values. The child, the servant, the caregiver, the man in rags on the street, the physically dependent friend. In a word, those who are humble or who have been humbled.

I recently was invited to participate in a Lenten ritual during a Sunday church service. Each of us were given a small slip of dissolvable paper (that would later go into the full baptismal bowl) and asked to write down, “What in you needs to die in order to recover your original innocence in God?” I was struck by the fact that the words came to me in a matter of seconds—importance, recognition, appreciation. My lust for worldly power and influence has frustrated my thirst for the pure love of God. The needs of my ego have often outweighed the needs of my soul.

Sit quietly. Breathe deeply. Ponder these questions:

• If you didn’t have all that you have—home, assets, influence, health, education, etc.—would you be enough?

• If heaven exists after we die, what do you most want to take with you? Can you slowly let go of your attachment to the rest?