Whether in His presence, or through a subsequent awareness that He had been present, knowledge of His having been beside us leaves the imprint of our Lord’s presence within us.
The reality gives way to a short-lived hope that He has not in fact left us, and then to a longing for His return which slips into a felt need to perpetuate those feelings associated with the experience. When this has at last been shed, we are still left with something more than simply a memory: an ongoing retention of the reality which lacks the moment to moment experience yet is a living echo of that previous time. This may last for a long time, but even this may eventually come down to the level of memory; as such, becoming so far removed from the actual presence that it cannot meaningfully rerun the experience for us.
The reality gives way to a short-lived hope that He has not in fact left us, and then to a longing for His return which slips into a felt need to perpetuate those feelings associated with the experience. When this has at last been shed, we are still left with something more than simply a memory: an ongoing retention of the reality which lacks the moment to moment experience yet is a living echo of that previous time. This may last for a long time, but even this may eventually come down to the level of memory; as such, becoming so far removed from the actual presence that it cannot meaningfully rerun the experience for us.
Nothing can duplicate what has occured, and it is this felt experience that holds us so tightly and is so difficult to leave behind; it blinds us to the fact that He has not left us at all: our longing for sensation blinds us to the light of truth within the heart of the experience. It may slowly fade to the level of memory but not merely to memory itself, alone, insubstantial and leaving no pulse of inseparable presence within.
Rather, this becomes a living remembrance that something unforgettable has occurred. An awareness that lifts from fragile story and thinning mirage, heightens the reality and imprints within in a way that cannot be lost, unlike feelings that may have flooded or overwhelmed us at the time, or footprints in the sand which are so soon washed away. A deep recollection and ongoing presence that enlivens a line from a much repeated story; raises from thought-provoking anecdote, un-grasped meaning and doubted relevance to life-giving hope, the words of our Lord Himself: words spoken in anticipation of something truly unforgettable that was soon to occur, ‘... do this in remembrance of me.’ (Luke 22:19)
Rather, this becomes a living remembrance that something unforgettable has occurred. An awareness that lifts from fragile story and thinning mirage, heightens the reality and imprints within in a way that cannot be lost, unlike feelings that may have flooded or overwhelmed us at the time, or footprints in the sand which are so soon washed away. A deep recollection and ongoing presence that enlivens a line from a much repeated story; raises from thought-provoking anecdote, un-grasped meaning and doubted relevance to life-giving hope, the words of our Lord Himself: words spoken in anticipation of something truly unforgettable that was soon to occur, ‘... do this in remembrance of me.’ (Luke 22:19)
‘... no one on earth knows precisely what it means to “seek God” until he himself has set out to find Him. No man can tell another what this search means unless that other is enlightened, at the same time, by the Spirit speaking within his own heart.’ (Thomas Merton. The Silent Life.)
This living remembrance of our experience reveals the presence of the Spirit within. We must be at peace, be still, and allow ourselves to hear Him speak.
We can remain unaware, failing to recognize God’s presence around us; we can be conscious of His work in our lives and in the world but skim over the surface of things, never going beyond the skin of our own existence; or we can begin to listen and look within ourselves, to question, to wonder and to hope. If we hear His words within our heart we can be led to our own personal experience of His life within our own, and our life within His infinite plan. We may be shaken, filled, consumed or completely swept or blown away by the experience, but we must learn that this is merely our human response and not the value of the occurrence. We can be left in thrall to the power of the moment without ever recognizing that we have failed to cross the threshold: we have settled merely for a glimpse, a foretaste of what is offered to us.
We become like the child in a current television advert for Disneyland, totally absorbed and enthralled by what lies before him while his parent gently tries to break into his wonder filled mind, “Jack ... Jack ... Jack ... This is just the entrance; why don’t we go inside?”
We do not walk simply to find the door. The door is ajar, and however bright the light coming through it, our journey is into the presence of ‘The Light of the World’ Himself, not just to the fringes of where His light may fall.
Rather than lingering at the very edge of something that constantly attracts us, but which we somehow still manage to avoid, let us approach and prepare to respond to His call; let us step through to a deeper discovery of our God, of ourselves, and of our place in His plan.
We can remain unaware, failing to recognize God’s presence around us; we can be conscious of His work in our lives and in the world but skim over the surface of things, never going beyond the skin of our own existence; or we can begin to listen and look within ourselves, to question, to wonder and to hope. If we hear His words within our heart we can be led to our own personal experience of His life within our own, and our life within His infinite plan. We may be shaken, filled, consumed or completely swept or blown away by the experience, but we must learn that this is merely our human response and not the value of the occurrence. We can be left in thrall to the power of the moment without ever recognizing that we have failed to cross the threshold: we have settled merely for a glimpse, a foretaste of what is offered to us.
We become like the child in a current television advert for Disneyland, totally absorbed and enthralled by what lies before him while his parent gently tries to break into his wonder filled mind, “Jack ... Jack ... Jack ... This is just the entrance; why don’t we go inside?”
We do not walk simply to find the door. The door is ajar, and however bright the light coming through it, our journey is into the presence of ‘The Light of the World’ Himself, not just to the fringes of where His light may fall.
Rather than lingering at the very edge of something that constantly attracts us, but which we somehow still manage to avoid, let us approach and prepare to respond to His call; let us step through to a deeper discovery of our God, of ourselves, and of our place in His plan.
‘Look, I have opened in front of you a door that no one will be able to close ...’
(Revelation 3:8)
