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St. Symeon the New Theologian (942-1022) writes of mystical knowledge, or contemplative insight: "... in spiritual things, unless the mind comes to the contemplation of the things that are above thought, it does not perceive the mystical activity."
Of the person who does not transcend thought, St. Symeon writes,
He who has not arrived at contemplation in spiritual matters and claims that he perceives the things that are above intellect, word, and thought is like him whose eyes are blinded and who has a sensation of good or bad things that he experiences, but does not know what is in his hand or at his feet, even if they are for him a matter of life or death. Since he is deprived of the faculty and perception of vision he in no way perceives the bad or the good things that come upon him. Thus he will often lift up his staff to ward off his enemy and possibly strike his friend instead, while his enemy stands before his eyes and laughs at him.
For St. Symeon, an example of this mystical activity is Christ's resurrection. He writes, "Christ's resurrection is our resurrection, ours who lie here below." He expounds, "... Christ's resurrection and His glory are our glory." And, "Through His resurrection in us it comes into being in us, is shown to us, and is seen by us." To clarify that he is not just speaking about a mental vision, but a direct intuition, St. Symeon clarifies,
How then does the Holy Spirit urge us to say, "Having beheld Christ's resurrection," which we have not seen, as though we had seen it, when Christ has risen once for all a thousand years ago, and even then without anybody's seeing it? Holy Scripture does not wish us to lie? Rather, it urges us to speak the truth, that the resurrection of Christ takes place in each of us who believes, and that not once, but every hour, so to speak, when Christ the Master arises in us,...
Contemplative, or mystical, experience contrasts with the typical historical consciousness. Unfortunately, most of the Church lives in nothing beyond historical consciousness, which fits common prejudice against anything beyond-thought. Historical consciousness says things like, "I am a Christian through the imputed merit of Christ's death some two-thousand years ago." Contemplative, or mystical, knowledge experiences Transcendence, whereby one says, being initiated through Grace into the transhistorial Christ, "I am a Christian through a choice to participate in Christ's life, thus, having lived out within me the passion-resurrection now and by Christ."
There is no merit coming purely from a rational acceptance of what Jesus Christ did for us in the past. Religious rationalism, bowing before the deity of reason, is one reason Christianity is, for the most part, spiritually shallow in our society.
For a vital, deep Christian spirituality, we choose to enter into Christ's life, the life that touches past and present and future, that endows each moment with inspiration and allows us to experience in ourselves Christ, the Spirit, living out His being, eternally. The path of reason can never open us to this mystical participation in God; it can only prepare the way. Afterward, reason, once the good servant, easily becomes the bad master. We are to devote our lives to entering the Mystery of Christ, daily, through the enabling Grace of the Blessed Spirit.
The Grace of God the Father, the Love of God the Christ, and the Joy of God the Holy Spirit be with you each, now, and always, eternally. Amen.
*Information of St. Symeon is taken from Symeon the New Theologian: The Discourses, Trans. C.J. DeCantanzaro, The Classics of Western Spirituality.
**OneLife writings are offered by Brian K. Wilcox, a United Methodist pastor serving in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. He writes in the spirit of John Wesley's focus on the priority of inner experience of the Triune God; scriptural holiness; ongoing sanctification; the goal of Christian perfection (or, wholeness). Brian lives a vowed contemplative life with his two dogs, Bandit Ty and St. Francis, in North Florida. OneLife writings are for anyone seeking to live and share love, joy, and peace in the world and in devotion to God as she or he best understands God.
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