“What I do know is that the pain (of longing for union with God) penetrates into the depths of the soul. And so, when he who has wounded her withdraws his arrow, it seems like God is drawing out her innermost depths, in proportion to the love she feels for him.” Teresa of Avila
Of course, we must do our part in the spiritual life: praying, meditating, living a moral life, making acts of loving service, and so forth. But all of this merely sets the stage for communion with God, or as I like to say, “these things bring us into the gate of the temple.” Only God’s grace can bring us into the heart of the temple. This means that we are entirely at God’s mercy, that God is in charge of our journey, and that God is arranging everything on our behalf. To the egoic mind, our utter helplessness will make no sense at all and cause both confusion and pain. In a manner of speaking, the egoic mind must go dark in order for God’s light to shine in all of its brilliance. But through it all, God is preparing us for the fulfillment of our most soulful aspiration, the experience of absolute union. Slowly and surely, God is unearthing our buried divinity. Our job is to stay awake, to faithfully carry out the tasks assigned to us, and to cling to God and Guru as though our lives depend on it — because they do!
Beloved God,
All of my life
Is preparation
For union with you.
