The Center for contemplative practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
WHAT DOES REALITY LOOK LIKE?
One of my six thresholds of life is, What does reality look like? There could be many different ways to see reality, all of them held sincerely by their advocates, and many of them are correct.
If a scientific-oriented person looks at reality, he or she might see only what is verifiable. This faith stuff is too subjective and wishy-washy. These folks don’t believe in what they can’t prove through science or logic. They see the physical universe or the visible one they can see using the mental universe of their minds to find meaning. Nothing wrong with this approach, as far as it goes.
Then, there are those who don’t believe in anything they can’t verify through logic and common sense. They believe in reality as being time, matter, energy, and what they can attain through logic. They see the mental universe and that they try to find meaning in the physical universe. Nothing wrong with his approach, as far as it goes. But does it go far enough. Does this approach describe all of reality?
Without trying to oversimplify a very complex and profound problem, there are those who believe in all the above but add a dimension of invisible reality, whom some call spirituality. This is the part of humanity that is essentially what makes us human, but we can’t see it. It is the collective summary of our heritage, but we don’t all agree on what that is. In his book, The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry writes about a boy he called the Little Prince. Here is some of the text:
As the Fox in the book, The Little Prince, says to the Little Prince, And he went back to meet the fox. The fox speaks of love and the price it costs.
“Goodbye,” he said.
“Goodbye,” said the fox. “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
“What is essential is invisible to the eye,” the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.
“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”
“It is the time I have wasted for my rose–” said the little prince, so that he would be sure to remember.
“Men have forgotten this truth,” said the fox. “But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose . . .”
“I am responsible for my rose,” the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.
REFLECTIONS ON LOVE AND ITS COST
- The greatest love is one where you empty yourself for another, either by dying for them or by loving others as Christ has loved you.
- In marriage, intercourse makes babies, but love makes a marriage. Love is allowing the other person to be themselves without wanting them to be you. Love is taking time with the other to make them happy. Love is holding the other, even when times are tough. Just because your married road is rocky, doesn’t mean you are on the wrong road.
- Dark love is when your human side wants so much to flee responsibility for the other but your spiritual side warns you to be patient and stay the course. Jesus was tempted in the Garden of Gethsemani and said, not my will be done but your will be done. Adam and Eve were tempted in the Garden of Eden and said, only my will be done, not yours. When your spouse has a serious mental or physical illness, you stay with them, even though you know it will cost you your affections and you may be abused verbally and called names.
- Love is taking time with your other so that you may grow together centered around Christ.
Faith helps you to recognize reality through knowledge, love, and service. Hope helps you to sustain your faith when reality looks bleak and barren of meaning. Love helps both faith and hope in producing God’s own energy to lead you to life Forever. Original sin bound us to this earth in death, Christ’s resurrection freed us from Original Sin, our Baptism is a response to the resurrection through water and the Spirit. Church is the living Body of Christ today which we access through silence, solitude, prayer, work, and community. Reality is what is, and what is depends on your vision of either two universes (physical and mental) or three universes (physical, mental, and spiritual). One way you will not see, you will not hear, nor will you attain adoption with God. One way is the truth, the way, and life Forever. Your choice!
Praise be the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and Forever. The God who is, who was, and who is to come at the end of the ages. Amen and Amen. –Cistercian doxology
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