Something of the Sacred

I like to start my day be reading a little from the Bible or from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest." Its' one of the things I do to prepare to live well each day. Of course I make many bad decisions on the way to a well lived day. But, I've got to start somewhere. Chambers focused on the phrase, "Blessed are the poor in spirit", from Jesus' monumental and widely known discourse on the mountain in Matthew chapters 5-7. Chambers points out that the Bible often notices things that don't really count in a purely humanistic life way. He goes on to say, "At the basis of Christ's Kingdom is the unaffected loveliness of the commonplace. The thing I am blessed in is my poverty." There is something of the sacred that resides within us, an unaffected loveliness if you will, and it deserves to be unaffected by life, circumstances, failures and successes.

Poverty is an idea that resonates deep within the soul. Yesterday I attended a memorial gathering in honor of a friend who died after a 14 year battle with A.I.D.S. The gathering was a celebrative and very humanistic reflection on his life. In the midst of the ceremony the words of a familiar hymn were belted out, "Amazing Grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me..." Seeing one's self as wretched is a realization of incompleteness, of need, in poverty of spirit. I could sense for a few moments that we were all in need. Yes, we needed comfort as we mourned our friends death. Yet, our need was deeper than that. For just a moment the spirit realm seemed visable and our emptiness was evident. There we were, a room full of needy wretches in need of Grace. Not a one of us could provide the kind of riches we needed and longed for. But the reality was evident. As I reflect on that moment, our common stature is why we lingered and enjoyed the drink and talk. Was I the only one who saw the opening? I don't think so. The greater question is what should one do when the heavens are opened? How should one respond to Grace? Yes, I need it. Am I humble enough to receive it? To abide in it? To know that God is God and I need God's Grace? The sacred is calling. I hope not to miss the Caller today...