Beyond Theory (2)

Everything taught and done by Christ in the Gospels is inherently contemplative. Each of his teachings, all of his actions, everything he says is designed to invite his hearers to step back from themselves, to evaluate and become critical of the social context in which they have been raised, to reconsider their deepest held social beliefs and values, to remove the masks that these have produced, to die to these selves, to unaligned themselves with institutions and individuals who claim to have social insight, or control, or power, to relinquish the fantasy that our thoughts and creativity are key elements in building society or even in following God, and to live simple, humble lives alert to God and alive to life. This is the quieting and insightful action of contemplation. And just because the word itself is not used in the New Testament is no reason for us to be misled.

The teachings of Christ hold that the simple experience of God is always indirect, yet luminous upon reflection. What is always illuminated is our external false self; what is always affirmed is our inmost simplified self. What it always calls for is our continued self-denial, opening us up to yet deeper communion, which is the work of the Holy Spirit, and our personal entering into an appreciation for and action-alignment with his real, ongoing presence, and the sacrificial modelling of Christ himself. This always unfolds in a communion of love and mutually affirming understanding outside of our egos.