Memorizing the bible, going to church, growing in the knowledge of Jesus or even living more like Jesus. But THESE are many of the things we are told spirituality is all about. Spirituality is about seeing. Pure and simple Jesus walked around the earth inviting his followers into a new awareness, a new seeing and new way of connecting to real full life.
Repeatedly he invited the disciples to note weeds, trees, wells, water, seeds, soils, birds and… a zillion other things. Why? He was bringing them into a heightened awareness an awareness that would click them off autopilot so they could be awake. Jesus DID NOT do Torah bible studies with the disciples (though he did do readings in the temple). He didn’t ask the disciples to live according to the current rule set established by the religious leaders of the day. He didn’t ask them to memorize or buy into even one doctrinal position to follow him. He didn’t check to make sure they complied with a “lifestyle statement,” alcohol consumption clause or tobacco usage policy.
Why? Because spirituality has little to do with externals like these. He said so…it isn’t what goes in that is the problem it is what comes out that is.
Spirituality is the partner of physicality. It is the hidden dimension of all of life. As there are physical eyes for the physicality portion of life there are spiritual eyes for the spirituality of life. This is why Jesus seemed over interested in eyes, blindness, sleepiness, wakefulness, and awareness. This is where it all begins.
Information isn’t the starting point…seeing is.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes, yes, and yes. Spirituality isn’t something you do it’s something that you become aware something you “wake up” to. The process of becoming awake and unlearning cognitive thoughts about spirituality from childhood isn’t an easy journey.
Great post!
Hadn’t thought about the fact that Jesus was over interested in seeing and eyes … but I do know when I stopped going through life with just information and instead began ‘seeing’ God, especially in creation, it opened many new thoughts and questions in my mind.
Love the last line!
Wow Ron, Sorry I have been laxed on staying up on your current doings with velocity, but when I saw this it was amazing, I just had this exact talk with a friend of mine yesturday, I reminded her that living for Jesus ISN’T about the laws, she kept making the statement “I know I’m not in the right place with God” So I asked her what does that mean, what is THAT suppose to look at, she didn’t know, so I read this article to her, This was confirmation to what I had said to her in yesturday’s conversation. What a great time to see this!!! Thank you for again following Gods voice!
Ron… I agree here, although not too long ago I would have thought of spirituality as all those things to do, and more. I’ve now started (!) experiencing an awakening in the interior part, or the hidden part.
One question… How and when does that internal experience, awakening and higher consciousness start translating to the externals to bring the necessary healing and correction? I would love to have the inner peace etc translate to better behavior, better thinking and less dependence…
I’m seeing some fruit in terms of more peacefulness. Should I just soldier on and seek more consciousness of God’s presence daily, waiting for Him to restore me to sanity and health?
Dries, brilliant question which beautifully shows the level of your journey the commitment you have obviously made to new practices, contemplative, awareness, centering type practices that bring this interior light. You have noted the movement trajectory. It starts inside and comes to our conscious awareness that something this actually happening on the inside. This is precisely, I think, what Paul means in Eph 1.15ff where he prays that the eyes of the Ephesians hearts would be enlightened. He prays directly for the interior light bulb to go one, just as you are describing. But the movement outward to how all this impacts behavior and integrates our lives is a longer journey. My personal experience and with those that have coached me and that I have walked with for some time, is that these ah ha’s happen quietly over months and years. It is almost as if one day you wake up and realize this particular issue in your head hasn’t been present for awhile and voila’ something powerful has shifted. Or you realize some pain deep in your spirit is lighten and hardly ever a motivator. Or you come to see the shadow side in an area is not the engine in some compulsive area. These are the fruits of interior work being done, but it does take time, and I think the awareness that the work is going on comes to conscious levels often very quietly. So yes soldier on, and live into those beautifully healing changes.
I am seeing a spiritual moving towards this basic understanding that you have outlined here. We seem to always read, listen, interact, to achieve some “unforeseen” goal. It’s amazing when we are alone we can just “Be still and know that the Lord is God”.