It's a common enough metaphor for one's spiritual life, most likely derived from the gospel accounts of Jesus' movement from Nazareth to Capernaum to Jerusalem. In Mark's gospel Jesus moves from place to place with a sense of urgency, noted by phrases such as, "then he went," and "another time..." His progress toward the climax of his story at times seems almost breathless. And in Luke, chapters 9 to 19 form Jesus' "Journey to Jerusalem," the long slow walk to his death and resurrection.
As a parish priest, though, I came to dislike the journey metaphor, scriptural though it may be. It seemed to set God at an unreachable distance, and to create an expectation of infinitely unbridgeable separation from the divine. To preach to my people that they were on this unending journey to something they could never attain - unless by death - seemed unfair, even cruel, and not at all what I imagined God actually intended for us. I never came up with an alternative metaphor, though. I avoided the language of journey as much as I could, and reminded my congregation that God was not somewhere "out there," but very much present in the here and now, with us and among us as we created God's realm of peace and compassion.
A few days ago I was driving to the next state (in New England that's not all that far) and found myself musing about the metaphor of journey again. This time I had the leisure to consider what might be a more useful, more authentic-feeling expression of the development of the spiritual life. If God is present, now and always, and we are the ones who change and grow into a more conscious experience of God's presence over time, what does that look like? And the image of the many-petalled lotus came to me. That image seems to resonate with my recent experiences of an opening in the heart, the experience of a spaciousness that seems to receive the Spirit with peace and joy, and with no particular need to be rushing about anywhere.
Jesus in the Gospels was moving from the outskirts of the Jewish world to its center in Jerusalem. His journey was a critical element in the salvation narrative. But I'm not going anywhere. I'm a hermit whose life is dedicated to the service of those I meet, and whose heart and soul are simply opening to God's Spirit a little more each day. And that is enough.
You thoughtfully wrote that you, “reminded my congregation that God was not somewhere ‘out there,’ but very much present in the here and now, with us and among us.” Indeed, you are in good company, for Jesus himself taught us, “The kingdom of God is within you.” You further wrote that your, “heart and soul are simply opening to God’s Spirit a little more each day.” Jesus again taught, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” So rather than going anywhere, you can simply allow for that spiritual unfolding to occur right in the lotus of your heart. It seems this is exactly what Jesus intended for us.
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