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Story
A frustrated monk spoke to the Abbot, “Father, I have heard you teach that we are one with God, but I often don’t feel one with God.” The Abbot said, “Well, I never teach that we will always or even usually feel one with God. I teach that we are one with God.”
Comments
Blessed John Ruysbroeck (b. 1293), a Flemish, Christian mystic, wrote of union with God:
"(In the Reality unitively known by the mystic), we can speak no more of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, nor of any creature, but only of one Being, which is the very substance of the Divine Persons. There were we all one before creation, for this is super-essence. There the Godhead is in simple essence without activity."
Ruysbroeck teaches that relational imagery of Divine Being, based on human action in relations, speaks of God-in-expression, not God-in-essence (or, substance). God-in-essence, or Godhead, in singularity (or, simplicity) encompasses relational-potential. The singularity of God is Ground of the plurality of Trinity. When potential is expression, we speak rightly, and with the historic Church, of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Divided-mind, or dualistic-mind, cannot hold as orthodox the union of this paradox of truths equally, but differently, true. The mind itself transformed into the contemplative-union, being shaped by and a reflection of the paradox within the Divine Substance-Expression, can truthfully know this mystical paradox as the simple, sublime Truth.
This Truth transcends feeling; as all truth, all truth in Truth is true regardless of feeling. This means that the truth of union with Divine Being is free of feeling. This places such sacred truth in the category of faith, or trust.
However, "free of feeling" does not mean "lacking feeling." Certainly, there is no feeling at one with the substance of Truth, nor can feeling be one with any truth, essentially. Still, there arises true feelings, feelings spiritualized by union with the Triune Mystery, and these provide a testimony to the inner realization of union with the Divine Substance. For feelings are transformed through the union of the will with the Will of God. Ruysbroeck, as mystics generally, is aware of the feeling associated with union; he agrees that union is not devoid of feelings, but there arises feelings transformed through the union:
"Now the man who wishes to feel within himself the glow of the Eternal Sun, which is Christ Himself, he should be seeing, and should dwell on the mountains in the higher lands, by a gathering together of all his powers, and lifting up his heart towards God, free and careless of joy and grief, and of all created things. There Christ, the Sun of righteousness, shines upon the free and uplifted heart: and these are the mountains that I mean.
"Christ, the glorious Sun, the Divine Brightness, by His inward coming and by the power of His Spirit, enlightens and brightens and enkindles the free heart and all the powers of the soul. And this is the first work of the inward coming in the exercise of desire. Like as the power and the nature of fire enkindles everything which is offered to the flames, so Christ, by the fiery ardour of His inward coming, enkindles every ready, free and uplifted heart; and in this coming He says: GO YE OUT by exercises according to the way of this coming."
There is a noble desire "to feel within . . . the glow of the Eternal Sun." This is not merely an emotion; this is a Presence personal, intimate, relational: "Christ Himself." But, again, "Christ Himself" can only indicate an expression of Divine Being that is often misleading and blocks realization inwardly, for we have so unconsciously domesticated the symbolism we use in referring to the Mystery of Love. For example, there is no Jewish-Christian Jesus, but the very language "Christ Himself" is an encultured, though valid, means of referring to that Expression that is within the words themselves.
Hence, union in God will itself, in and through Christ, lead to spiritualized feeling that leaves us without words, and with confusion that is itself evidence of "the glorious Sun" drawing us more wholly into faith in Christ.
The "fiery ardor," which arises from Grace, will, at times, lead not to feelings of consolation but of desolation. How difficult for us to be freed from lesser feelings of popular piety and devotion to the spiritualized sensations of unitive knowledge!
What is this union in God? Again Ruysbroeck:
"Unity brings inward peace and restfulness of heart. Unity of heart is a bond which draws together body and soul, heart and senses, and all the outward and inward powers and encloses them in the union of love."
So, no, union with God is not always joined with a bodily-mental sensation of feeling. Being human, and not yet being purged of negative-afflictive feeling, we may often experience dis-ease in our spiritual unfoldment. The more we are irradiated with the Light, and transformed into Its Grace, the more we become like to the Light, the Grace. Therefore, arising will be more palpable experiences of an inward and spiritual rest and peace. And, likewise, more and more will be an environment of living, as though the unconscious background of all we are, think and do, which is this peace and rest.
Reflections
What is meant by spiritualization of feelings? Do you see how this has happened with you? Explain.
*Citations from Ruysbroeck: first is from Aldoux Huxley. The Perrennial Philosophy. The remaining are from The Sparkling Stone. In Some Writings of John Ruysbroeck (1293-1381). Trans. C. A. Wynschenk Dom.
For Brian's on-line audio sermons, go to www.wherethelightshines.org and select Pastor's Corner; on the following page is his weekly sermons given at Christ United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, FL.
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