Encountering God

Once again, I would like to share some reflections from Brian McLaren found in his work, Finding Our Way: The Return of the Ancient Practices.

Fixed-hour prayer, fasting, Sabbath, the sacred meal, pilgrimage, observance of sacred seasons, giving - all seven of the ancient spiritual practices are common to the major Abrahamic traditions of faith: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. These traditions have more in common than we may realize, or than their followers may want to admit, because they all share a primal narrative, and they all flow from a common sacred fountainhead: a single figure, at once famous and mysterious, a Middle Eastern man named Abraham of Ur.

The three Abrahamic religions begin with a journey into the unknown - a pilgrimage (Genesis 12:1-4). It might be said that ever since, each religion has been at its best when it is on a journey, not settled on the throne of power at the capital city of the Empire, but walking intrepidly on a path of exploration to the margins of the Empire and culture, and then beyond. Comfort and power can become great enemies of true spirituality, and true humanity. This explains why we often say that the prophets come not only to comfort the afflicted but to afflict the comfortable.

Routine, regularity, normalcy, habit, ordinariness ... these are as essential for spiritual life as regular breathing, drinking, sleeping, and eating are for physical life. But even so, a human body that is fed and rested regularly, but does not engage in adequate exercise, stretching, or movement will inevitably experience stiffness, lethargy, obesity, atrophy, and a host of even more serious diseases. So people of faith have periodically interrupted their normal lives with an intentional experience of discomfort, dislocation, and intensity - a kind of re-enactment of the original journey of Abraham, by engaging in voluntary pilgrimage. This is one way that people of faith interrupt regularity and normalcy of life. Next week, we will examine the second - Fasting, an exercise in extraordinary intentionality!

Personal Encounter

• This week, ponder the significance of Abraham as the patriarch of our planet's three great monotheistic faiths. Think of (or find) a friend of the other two Abrahamic faiths. Seek them out. Talk with them about this common origin, and ask them about the role and significance of Abraham in their faith. Do not argue! Simply listen, learn, and seek to build common ground, based on this shared source of inspiration.
• Consider this: your life is improved and enriched by the fact that some people are practicing dimensions of the spiritual life that you do not practice. And their lives are enriched by your practices. For example, what benefit do you derive from people who are more dedicated to the Sabbath than you are? How might this be true of other practices?