I often come to prayer with all the ‘treasures and possessions’
from my past, present and future ~
my dreams and memories, my ideas,
and understanding of what is good and what is good for me,
what I want my life to be.
Often, I would try on insert God in all this clutter and make sense of it all.
I also do that in my relationships ~
expecting people to fit into my categories and small boxes
and then create a picture or a story of my own making.
I end up creating an understanding of God, people and relationships of my own making ~ created in my image and likeness.
I realize now that this is all so wrong.
I am so full of myself there is hardly room anymore for God or for others to come in.
And I end up disappointed and frustrated.
I have to empty myself of such preconceptions.
I have to let go of my ‘treasures and possessions’.
Kenosis.
Christ on the cross totally emptied himself
of his will, his person-hood, his dignity and his very own humanity
to make room for the will of the Father.
Buddhists try to achieve enlightenment through the Mu, an emptying of all desires.
For as long as we continue to desire we will always be suffering.
Christ had a more proactive approach:
“Sell what you have, give it to the poor and then follow me.”
I need to empty myself of all the noise and the clutter on my life
to make room for God and others to come in ~ on their terms, not mine.
It is when the grass is withered and dried
and the trees have all shed their leaves
that we know that new life is about to spring forth anew.
From Kenosis to Zoe.
From Emptiness to New Life