IN the world, not OF the world

Tuesday, April 04, 2017

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Pharisees,

“You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above.

You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world.” (John 8:23)

Jesus refers to what is above and what is below, and perhaps this is the geography we have in mind when we “raise our hearts in prayer.” What matters the most when it comes to our spirituality are personal questions for consideration: What do you or I consider to be “above” and what do you or I consider what is “below?” What does it mean to you or me to hear Jesus say that He does not belong to this world? Where do we belong? And what is meant by “world,” considering the fact that it is something that Jesus says He doesn’t belong to?

By engaging these questions, we engage ourselves with John’s mystical Gospel, and if we turn to the ancient mystical writers and teachers, we might find something that helps us answer those very basic and very vital questions. Interestingly enough, I find the most helpful writings have to do with prayer itself.

Evagrius of Pontus (346-399):

When your intellect, in an ardent love for God, sets itself gradually to transcend, so to speak, created things and rejects all thinking . . . at the same time filling itself with gratitude and joy, then you may consider yourself approaching the borders of prayer. (On Prayer)

In your prayer time, rid yourself of everything that harasses you . . . be an ignorant and simple and at the same time a pensive child . . . Banish tricks and devices and behave like a child just weaned from its mother. (Parenticus)

These excerpts describe what seems like meditation, but the greatest of all monastic teachers, John Cassian (c.350-435) recommends that this type of prayer be brief. Let’s look at what he has to say:

We have to take particular care to follow the Gospel precept that bids us go into our inner room and shut the door to pray to our Father. . . . We are praying with our door shut when, without opening our mouth, we call on the One who takes no account of words but considers the heart. . . . We are praying in secret when we speak to God with the heart alone and with concentration of the soul, and make known our state of mind to him alone, in such a way that even the enemy powers themselves cannot guess their nature. Such is the reason for the deep silence that it behooves us to keep in prayer.

. . . Thus our prayers should be frequent but short, for fear that if they are prolonged the enemy might have an opportunity to insinuate distraction into them. (Conferences 9:35-36)

The question often arises, “Well then how do I let God know what is in my heart if I don’t speak to Him about it? or What about prayer of intercession?” These things are always good in themselves, but they do direct our attention to what “lies below.” It could also be argued that God knows what is in the heart and if our prayer is directly heart to heart, then God knows whom or what we want to pray about.

As always, take what makes sense, and leave the rest behind.

God bless you!