Beside Restful Waters

“Jesus talked much more about how to live on earth now than about how to get to heaven later.”

-Richard Rohr

Oooopf!

I just picked myself up off the floor after reading this statement.

As I brush myself off and stretch out a couple of muscles stiff from my fall, I am listening again to Fr. Rohr’s words.

I have been accepting of my focus of living life on this earth as a glimpse of heaven. Now I have to confess a spiritual pride in believing that my way of thinking is somehow unique. Fr. Rohr certainly put an abrupt hole in my pride!

Now I have to review my knowledge of the Christian scriptures and other sacred sources and make some changes in my way of thinking. Well, I don’t have to change my way of thinking as much as my ego and pride in believing that I was rather unique in this way of thinking.

Whatever!

Fr. Rohr tossed out a couple of rather sobering perspectives regarding my way of thinking and being: Is my relationship to God and my way of living focused on fire insurance? My early Christian education and many messages I hear now seem to be pointed at avoiding the fires of hell. Thus, I may be “doing good things” to pad my fire insurance policy rather than being in a life of interacting with the whole of creation with a God who simply expects to continue this relationship from this world to the next.

This requires a mindset that is in the present and connected to all of creation. I have entertained this mind set for several years. However, Fr. Rohr’s statement directs me to make an ongoing examination of the results of my day to day relationships. Fortunately we are blessed with the tools to conduct such an examination. From the 12 Steps, we are called specifically to step 10 to promptly admit and correct our mistakes. I suggest that we also use the ongoing personal inventory to celebrate our daily miracles, especially the small miracles which can be easily overlooked.

From Yogic thought, we apply the forth Niyama, svadhyaya. This is the practice of self-study.

Each of these practices is a unique method of the general Christian principle of loving one another AND our universe.

Each of us can challenge our personal Spiritual practices to more fully engage the entire universe as an expression of the presence and glory of our one Source and Creator. We can let the results of our observations guide us to further our relationships as celebrations of heavenly presence here, now, in the moment. I am sure that these observations will continue to lead us to our resting places beside the waters of life.

As we engage each other beside the restful waters, our gratitude and commitment to our universe will be the energy that directs us to our continued celebration of heaven, here and now.

Namaste’