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Today's Scripture
21 To me the only important thing about living is Christ, and dying would be profit for me.22 If I continue living in my body, I will be able to work for the Lord. I do not know what to choose—living or dying.23 It is hard to choose between the two. I want to leave this life and be with Christ, which is much better,24 but you need me here in my body.25 Since I am sure of this, I know I will stay with you to help you grow and have joy in your faith.26 You will be very happy in Christ Jesus when I am with you again.
*Philippians 1 (NCV)
Wisdom Story
Two people got lost in the desert. They were dying from hunger and thirst. Finally, they arrived at a high wall. On the other side, they could hear the sound of a waterfall and birds singing. Above, they could see the branches of a lush tree extending over the top of the wall. Its fruit looked delicious.
One of the men managed to climb over the wall; he disappeared on the other side. The other, instead, returned to the desert to help other lost travelers find their way to the oasis.
Comments
Aspiration for heaven somewhere else and trying to make sure we will get there following a death can be a subtle selfishness. Rather, we can accept heaven as a timeless state of mind, or disposition of heart. Heaven is a disposition of the heart. Heaven is an energy of divine love that leads us to transcend ourselves in empathy and sacrifice for the good of others.
In our Scripture for today, St. Paul shows us the heaven in his heart and before his physical demise. He is in prison. And he longs for martyrdom, that he might go to enjoy the immediacy of the full, spiritual Presence of Christ. This, in effect, means that St. Paul longs to enjoy Christ apart from the intervening limits of space-time and materiality. This he cannot do while in the body.
But what does St. Paul choose? A choice arises out of his love for the persons he serves. His longing to enjoy Christ apart from physicality is surrendered to his will to serve the Body of Christ in the earth dimension.
This compassionate decision to remain and serve arose from St. Paul having his heart~consciousness transformed by and into the heart~consciousness of the living~universal Christ. This Jesus Christ captured his heart~consciousness years before as he was journeying to lead Christians from Damascus to Jerusalem to be prisoners.
Empathic self-transcendence in St. Paul did not derive from a natural disposition of goodwill, of religious devoutness, or of morality. Repeatedly, in his letters, St. Paul affirms or alludes to the centrality of the living Christ in his life.
St. Paul carried the heaven of love in his heart, for that love arose from intimacy with Christ. This devotion to Christ, the Presence around which his whole being and life~purpose evolved, like planets around a central Sun, is evidenced clearly in the following words: "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified [or, "lifted up"] in my body, whether it be by life, or by death" (v. 20, AV). And, "For me to live is Christ" (v.21a).
Paradise, or heaven, is an image of an inner disposition of heart and mind. Heaven we have within us when we desire the good of others above our own good. Self-transcending love is not focused on getting to heaven somewhere else; this love is exemplified by a person, of any religious faith, who wants to share as much as possible of the heaven~within with others now. The person who does this sharing already lives in heaven now and is prepared for it hereafter, for his or her heart finds its center in the living Christ.
Reflections
Have you had moments of self-forgetfulness in seeking the good of someone else?
Is Christ central in your life? If "yes," explain how that evidences in your relationships with others.
Brian will respond to requests pertaining to seeking a Spiritual Mentor, his speaking, leading classes, workshops, or retreats. See any major on-line bookseller for his book An Ache for Union.
Brian offers retreats, workshops, or classes in such subjects as Contemplative Prayer (he trains in Visualized Praying, Centering Prayer, Christian Meditation, The Jesus Prayer, ...), Contemplative Living, A Spiritual Understanding of the Lord's Prayer, and Spiritual Use of the Scripture.
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