The Center for contemplative practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
REFLECTIONS ON THE SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE
The following reflections come from one of my Lectio Divina Contemplations.
Have you ever heard of the phenomenon about pole reversal, which states that our North and South poles have sifted over the billions of years earth has been here? How this came to me, when I was in the midst of a Lectio Divina contemplation on Phil 2:5 is a mystery, but there it was. I looked it up on Google,
https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-poleReversal.html
My assumption is: when you enter the spiritual universe (voluntarily, of course) there are two sets of meaning. That of the world (everyday activities) and that of the spiritual universe. Another way to put that is, you can either live in two universes (physical and mental) or three universe (physical, mental and spiritual. All three universes have different yerdsticks with which to measure reality. It would be a mistake to think you can use the same measurements to measure visible reality as you do to identify invisible reality.
Every so often, more common in geological time than you might think, the North and South poles reverse. Down is up and up becomes down. I believe that is what happened with the coming of Christ, but with three universes, not two. It occurred to me that the same thing might happen in the spiritual universe. This universe interfaced with the physical one at the moment of creation and with the mental one when Adam and Eve, our progenitors, first knew that they knew.
In my book, The Woman Who Changed Time: Spirituality and Time, I talk how Mary changed time itself (spiritual time, Christos, not physical time, Kronos), when she resonded to God’s invitation, “Let it be.” This was one of the times when the spiritual poles reserved themselves, and what was up became down. In other words, the gates of Heaven were opened by the unconditional sacrifice of the Son to the Father.
The spiritual universe has no beginning and no end. It is Heaven, the Garden of Eden before the Fall, and the Kingdom of Heaven after Jesus paid the price of redemption on the cross. Redemption comes from a Hebrew word that means, go to the pawn shop and redeem that which you pawned. In this case, Jesus paid the price for Adam and Eve’s pawn ticket and got us out of debt. The problem is, we all inherit the effects of original sin, i.e., we suffer, die, must work for our food, and have temptations to do what is evil, although we, ourselves, are not evil, just wounded.
Based on these assumptions, it comes to mind that there are three times that the spiritual universe turned upside down, up becoming down and down becoming up.
- THE CREATION – God made everything with a Word and it was all good. Physical time and the laws of physics and science applied to matter. Everything evolved according to natural laws.
- THE CREATION OF HUMANS—God made humans to live in a place of perfection, not the physical world of time and matter, but Adam and Eve chose not act their nature. Genesis story tells of how they were thrown out of perfection into an imperfect world, still good, still sustaining life, but now they had to work for a living, there was pain, there was death and disease, there was sin, they were no better than the animals in terms of sexuality and instinct to grab power and dominate others. This is the same world we know today, people wanting to be their own center, no appreciation of God’s laws, only what makes them happy. No one can tell anyone what to do.
- THE RE-CREATION OF MATTER AND TIME THROUGH SPIRITUALITY—Jesus, both God and human, rescued humanity from just living on earth and dying, that which they had in common with all living things, Now the purpose of life is to prepare to live with God…Forever. The price Jesus paid for that caused the poles to flip, but with one big difference. Now, the secular world stayed the same but you had to choose to be spiritual, thanks to Christ enabling all those who believed to be adopted sons and daughters of the Father. The effects of this spiritual polar reversal were; everything from the secular world stayed the same, all laws remained in effect. What changed were the new spiritual laws. The way to get to Heaven was to do what Jesus did and to act as He taught us. Up is now down and down is now up. Peace that the world gives is not the peace that Jesus offers. The rule of opposites now influences you, once you have chosen to have God as you sole center and not false gods. If you want to lead others, you must serve others. The Beatitudes now enhance the Ten Commandments. Deuteronomy 6 and Matthew 22:34 become the purpose of life. The language of the Kingdom of Heaven is one of forgiveness and mercy. We must struggle to die to self to become more like God.
We are created in God’s image and likeness, so we are not intrinsically evil, but merely tempted to do evil. With God’s energy, we chose our true self over our false self, but it is always a struggle. That is why, like St. Peter before us, we say we are disciples of the Master then turn right around and do evil in His sight.
The Effects of spiritual polar reversal are:
- We can depend on just saying we believe in The Master, without working to ensure that we have the energy and endurance to make choices to do what is right. In many cases, the world’s values are diametrically opposes to what Christ wants us to do.
- We need the grace (energy) of God to sustain us so that we can make the right choices. We are tempted to choose what is right over what is convenient. These choices are what the world tells us is good for us verses what God says we should do. Often, what God says is difficult, as in taking up your cross daily to follow Him. Just because the road is rocky, doesn’t mean you are on the wrong road. Read Galatians 5.
- You know you are in the spiritual universe when you realize that everything in that universe is opposed to the physical and mental universes you live in with your body. In my book, Three Rules of the Universe, one of the rules I call The Rule of Opposites. You guessed it. What is up in the physical and mental universes, is actually the opposite in the spiritual universe. It is ths sign of contradiction and one what you know you are in the Kingdom of Heaven. Examples:, if you want to be the greatest, you must be the least and serve others; you must die to self to be reborn to life; you must let your light shine on the stand and not put it under a bushel basked; the Virgin shall conceive and bear and son, and the greatest one, Philippians 2:5-12. I use this verse as the purpose for my life, and I have never been dissappointed. In fact, all of these books are the result of just sitting down and writing what I hear in my mind and heart.
- If it is easy, it probably isn’t the Kingdom of Heaven. The good news is, because we are not adopted sons and daughters of the Father, we have footprints in the snow in which to step so as not to fall into the waters of sin and failure.
- We are pilgrims in a foreign land, when we look around to see what is meaningful and what will get us to Heaven. Many will say, “this way” or “that way” is the path to righeousness. There is no roadmap other than The Master, who says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
- As an aspiring Lay Cistersan, and a pilgrim in this foreign land we call earth, I am called to seek God through silence, solitude, pray, work, and community. Using the Cistercian charisms and practices, I have a way to plough through life to attain my goal, each and every day: to love God with all my mind, my heart, and my strength and my neihbor as myself. (Deuteronomy 6 and Matthew 22:34).
- Christ, our Master, says he will make all things new. Through mercy, forgiveness, confession, and penance, I hope to pick myself up from my imperfections and sins and carry my cross daily. I have help in that. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29
I have tried to apply my personal center, Philippians 2:5, to ideas like polar reversal and spirituality and time. Forgive this broken-down, old Temple of the Holy Spirit for his musings.
That in all things, God be glorified. –St. Benedict
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