Sunday, December 30, 2007

Back to Basics

A reflection on John 1:1-18 for Christmas I.

I recently decided to take up Yoga, again. I studied yoga for nine years, even taught it for awhile. During that time Yoga was the mainstay of my Spiritual life and physical health, the grounding of my well being.

But I haven’t really practiced Yoga in about 15 years. So, despite how well I knew it at one time in my life, in order for me to practice it again, I have to go back to the beginning, back to basics.

The basic elements of yoga include stretching, gently holding postures, and breathing, in a rhythmic pattern. The purpose of yoga is to balance the body and bring harmony inside and out. Another purpose of yoga is move the body in order to prepare it to be still for meditation. And the purpose of meditation, or in Christian language, contemplative, silent, prayer, is to listen to God, to know God more fully. Therefor the reason I want to practice yoga again is to open myself up to God in a very intentional way.

Following the hustle and bustle of Christmas we are invited, today, to go back to the beginning, back the basic tenets of our faith. The Gospel reminds us:

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and lived among us…

From the beginning God’s word has been present in the world and in all creation. God’s word expresses God’s self into the world and in so doing all things come into being. God’s word is everywhere and part of everything.

As Christians we know God’s Word in particular as the person of Jesus the Christ. In this human being God expresses the fullness of God’s self. In Jesus we know the Word become flesh.

The Christian faith has debated this for centuries. What does it really mean? We’ve argued and debated the Virgin birth, the divine nature and the human nature.

But today we are asked to set the debates aside and get back to basics. The
Basic tenet of our Christian spirituality is that God is with us.

Joan Chittister describes this well with a story:
God decided to become visible to a king and a peasant and sent an angel to inform them of the blessed even. “O king,” the angel announced, “God as deigned to be revealed to you in whatever manner you wish. In what form do you want God to appear?”

Seated pompously on his throne and surrounded by awestruck subjects, the king royally proclaimed: “How else would I wish to see God, save in majesty and power? Show God to us in the full glory of power.”

God granted his wish and appeared as a bolt of lightening that instantly pulverized the king and his court. Nothing, not even a cinder, remained.

The angel then manifested herself to a peasant saying: “God deigns you to be revealed in whatever manner you desire. How do you wish to see God?”

Scratching his head and puzzling a long while, the peasant finally said: “I am a poor man and not worthy to see God face to face. But if it is God’s will to be revealed to me, let it be in those things with which I am familiar. Let me see God in the earth I plough, the water I drink, and the food I eat. Let me see the presence of God in the faces of my family, neighbors, and – if God deems it as good for myself and others – even in my own reflection as well.”

God granted the peasant his wish, and he lived a long and happy life. (Peacemaking Day by Day).

God is with us, not in grandiose ways, but the ordinary everyday things of life. Kathleen Norris speaks of this as well in her reflection called, “The Quotidian Mysteries.” In this reflection she ponders the way God can be found in everyday activities like preparing food and doing dishes. Her inspiration for this is found in the Eucharist itself, in the priest preparing the meal of bread and wine and then cleaning up the dishes after the meal has been served. God in the ordinary.

Not only is God found in the ordinary events, but because of Jesus we also believe that God is found in human beings and in our relationships with one another. We believe that we are made in the image of God. Our Gospel reminds us of this: “In the beginning was the Word…and the Word was made flesh and lived among us…”

A little girl was standing with her grandfather by an old-fashioner open well. They had just lowered the bucket to draw some water to drink. “Grandfather,” she asked, “where does God live?”

The old man picked up the little girl and held her over the open well. “Look down into the water,” he said, “and tell me what you see.” “I see myself,” said the little girl. “That’s where God lives,” said the grandfather, “God lives in you.” (Mark Link, Challenge)

God expresses God’s self in and through our lives, in the things we do and in the way we treat one another. Through the life of Jesus we come to know God’s love poured out for us. Jesus shows us how to love as God loves….”and from his fullness we have received grace upon grace.”

Basically, when we strive to love others, the ordinary people in our lives, intentionally love them in a radical generous way, we are loving God in the process. Doing so takes us back to the beginning, to Christianity at its most basic.

Seems to me that’s a good place to start as we enter a New Year.

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