Comments on: Live the Life You Love

By: Sue

Sue — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 11:49:45 +0000

I’ll drink to that too, Peter. A nice glass of cabernet merlot.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:53:00 +0000

To tie this in with another post: John Crowder majors on “receiving God’s love” with joy, ecstatic joy; and his testimony is that this experience of fullness and satisfaction in Him leads to abandoned, loving service to those in need, the “action” part of mysticism. In other words, fufilling Great Commandment #1, to love God with all our heart-soul-strength, naturally leads us into fulfilling #2 to love our neighbor as ourselves.

As Mike Morrell says, “I’ll drink to that!”

Blessings,
Peter

By: Jamie

Jamie — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:53:05 +0000

Thanks Carl for a wonderful post.
It sums up the “mysticism of action” so beautifully exemplified by Catherine of Siena who experienced heaven on earth but was active in politics and charity.

By: Beth

Beth — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:19:42 +0000

Ok–side trip here…
Here’s a concept that has arisen in Buddhist/Christian dialogue about Jesus as bodhisattva–a being that does not have to be incarnated, but chooses to, for the good of the embodied universe.

Carl, in that powerful image you gave, Jesus as bodhisattva, would embrace both the fire of love and our fear of it and would stand with one hand stretched towards God and one hand stretched away so that whichever direction we face his arms are available to us.

That takes me out of the realm of Calvinism or Armininianism, doesn’t it? Oh well.
Thanks ever so much for that beautiful imagery.

By: Carl McColman

Carl McColman — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:01:25 +0000

Not sure how to answer your question, since the omnipresence of God and the experience of the presence of God are both profound mysteries. Here’s a thought: the universe is shot through with the fires of the love of God. Those in “hell” stand with their backs to God, and the fires of love burn. Those in “heaven” stand facing God, and the fires of love illuminate the beatific vision. Now, who chooses which way you stand? If you’re a Pelagian or an Arminian, you say “I do.” If you’re a Calvinist or an Augustinian, you say “God does.”

By: Kasethen

Kasethen — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:53:04 +0000

Interesting perspective. I think this touches upon some of the themes present in C.S. Lewis’s writings as well. How can love be distorted? How can a zealous love for God–in crusade form–be converted into a place of illusion, deception, and judgment? This happens quite easily, in my experience. I think your quote from Ghandi is appropriate. If you wouldn’t mind, could you clarify in what way you think that God is ‘with’ those in Hell–as your quote from Psalms places it?

By: Beth

Beth — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:19:25 +0000

Hi Carl–that is a lovely definition of Christian mysticism! One foot in both realms.. The bigger gift seems to be that those who clearly live ‘there’, while not doing so for the intention of helping the rest of us, do assist others to have the courage to do what it takes to live the life we’re all meant to live…inside the heart of God…with one foot on land/one in the sea; one foot driving a car/other foot dipping a toe in the boundless mysteries.
Thanks so much, Carl, for your single-pointed focus on finding your way home.
Beth

By: Sue

Sue — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:26:11 +0000

Ah, lovely There is so much freedom in this post, Carl. Freedom to rest and just be … which of course is nothing like being passive, and everything like living.

God is amazing.