Posted by giveawayboy on February 15, 2003 at 15:47:24:
In Reply to: I am impressed to point out... posted by PS on February 15, 2003 at 14:35:30:
: And why is any of this practical?
: I am impressed that I should point out
: the crucial issue to grasp here is identity.
: Who was Jesus?
: Who are you?
: Who knows you?
: What is your position?
: Know this, and everything changes.
: You become powerful, and unafraid.
: You know, and you are well known.
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Right, I have learned this through friendships. Knowing who you are in relation to another is a good way to know not only you, but them. Once I have enjoyed friendship w people I can 'stand on my own' much better, since I am also standing with them. I suppose this would work w enemies too, as Father Philip points out, love your enemies, they can be great teachers. If we approach it correctly usually those we perceive as enemies will help teach us lessons about ourselves. In either case this self knowledge is coming through relational modes. I think it's neat too since we can transcend our perception of an enemy, unless of course the enemy is real, in the case of truly evil entities, which are bent away from God. But, that will be covered in future teachings I'm sure. I was merely discussing humans here.
An example of this is when I am with certain friends of mine. I come away from them with a surer stance, not a hubric stance, but a confident stance. There is some kind of gift we can give each other....we've talked about 'naming' before.....where we each discover and affirm things in the other. Sometimes it comes through clashing, like sparring. Sometimes it comes in beholding and recognizing the image of God in another, which is their true hope anyway, Christ in them, living his life hidden in them. Amazing! When this is revealed it's glorious.
I know I'm not applying this to demons, but let's say we encountered demonic presences. To the degree that this hope is alive in us, we will be more likely to discern them by default. I am not being flippant about true powers. I am not writing a Carman song here. I am just saying that Christ is the standard by which we can discern more aptly. Same with angels or humans. I'm no expert here, but I do know that this kind of understanding is relational.
Also, another key concept this brings to mind is humility. Some people think incorrectly that humility simply means docility or submissiveness. But I submit that humility means something more dynamic than that. It isn't passive. True humility is an active knowing of who we are in relation to God. It is an active submission to him, which lifts us up to be who he truly created us to be. This is humble. Humble isn't a downer. It is the greatest gift to amplify God's unique plan for each of us. A humble person will also realize that he does not proceed from himself. He will realize that everything is integrated in God. He will know that he exists in God and in concert with creation in some way. Once he begins to see this concert he will play WITH it and not AGAINST it like Melkor in The Silmarillion. We will see that our existence is not something in itself, but something with roots. We will have a surer stand once we realize that our roots go deep and that we came from a seed. We will know that part of our destiny is to exist for God and all beings. We are not alone. As Merton says...."no man is an island". So, for me humility is a wonderfully stimulating enterprise.
All this has something to do with identity. The Indians practice darshan, or 'seeing'. They know how to look for and look at God and behold God in each individual. The Christian should practice a type of darshan too. We need to practice beholding this image of God, revealed in Jesus, in every encounter. He is the image par excellence. As a Christian it is my hope that this image will be formed in me, despite the ways I tend to constantly mar it. The more I practice this darshan, the more I will become darshan for others. The more I practice this darshan with others, the more I will see Christ. It is he who is the source of the identity of all things.