Revelation - Paragraph 4
“We can discount God’s different revelations being due to the particularity of individuals. Over the ages, vastly different people have come upon these same revelations: young-old, male-female, learned-illiterate, happy-sad, and so on. God is no respecter of persons. Though recipients will have different experiences and descriptions, yet “what” has been revealed is the same across the board. Finally, we should not forget that what is important about any revelation is what we learn from it - learn of God, that is. The experience itself (our reactions, thoughts, and feelings) is not relevant - “experiences” merely come and go. It is the knowledge, the Truth of God given in revelation, that is important to our life and journey.”
“To summarize our definitions: “revelations” is God’s disclosure of Himself to man. Thus “God” is “That” which is revealed - can only be revealed. This gratuitous revelation is the essence and foundation of man’s “religions.” Without this, I hold no authentic “religion” is possible.”
Roberts says, “Vastly different people have come upon these same revelations….God is no respecter of persons.” Reading this text causes an exuberant jubilation within my heart. Everybody is welcome, everybody, God is no respecter of persons. This is truly Good News! And though we all “have different experiences and descriptions” it would seem that the fruit of these revelations can be known or, as Roberts says, are “the same across the board.” By “across the board” I believe she means those universal experiences, or Truths, that all religions come upon; namely Love. Any of the Mystical Traditions, one might even call it the Wisdom Tradition, lands in the same sea of Love.
I understand these words as an encouragement or invitation to my heart. What they ask of me is to learn and practice listening more deeply, more intently to what people share, even the most unlikely suspects. The encouragement is to honor everyone exactly where they are at, those with a faith tradition and those without a faith tradition. If it is true that God exists each and everyone one of us then the possibility of experiencing God is open to everyone. The interesting piece is that we often miss these experiential moments. All of us have been asleep to Reality at some time, if not presently. And it is understandable because we do not really know what to make of these liminal spaces. In watching a blazing sunset you may be overcome with exuberant joy or a gentle sweet stillness, yet we move on from the experiential moment as if nothing happened. We think “it was just a sunset.”
Unless we intentionally search someone out to explore such fleeting experiential moments the moment becomes forgotten. In our regular, ordinary, busy life there is often no one attuned enough, skilled enough, to help us land in and relish such moments. No one to help us unpack what the gentle sweet stillness or exuberance may be inviting. I would dare say that most people are unaware of their busyness. We all say “we are too busy,” but what steps are taken to reduce busyness? We are unaware that we are only skimming the surface of life. It takes practice and skill to realize there is a vast landscape beneath the surface. Our society rewards for efficiency, productivity, and quantity and it takes a certain gumption to check such beliefs at the door.
I ask myself how is it going, listening more deeply to others? How am I doing at attuning to someone else, to realizing they’re being existed into this moment just as I too am being existed. Honestly, it really requires a certain surrendered intention to put aside all the thoughts, emotions, and plans swirling inside of me to intentionally attend to another. I try practicing in small bits, such as at the grocery store with the check-out clerk. Can I just stay present, placing my attention on the service they are providing me instead of thinking of the next thing I think I’m supposed to be doing? Intentionality sounds easy but it is not. Intentionality requires a constant surrender and there is a part of me that does not completely want to comply.
If you are inclined towards this way of intentional living, as I am, then all we can do is our best, which is to find those good listeners that can support us in our efforts. Those that understand what it is we are after. We’re also aware that sticking with our practices, such as meditation, journaling, inquiry, counseling, whatever it is for you, is essential. As Jim Finley says, light your candle, do your practice, and intend to not break the thread during the day even knowing the thread will be broken. I trust that the good work that has begun in us will be completed, although not packaged in a large quantity of efficient productivity. Teilhard de Chardin says to “trust in the slow work of God.” May you grow more and more attuned to the exuberance and gentle stillness guiding you.
