Easter V: God’s love is perfected in us

When I was leading a bible study once, I was surprised to be asked what abide means. It’s one of those things – we forget that in Church circles, just as in every group, there is a prevailing jargon that has to be learned by the initiate. St Augustine recognised this in the 4th C when as a catechumen he was asked to read a certain Bible passage.  Augustine couldn’t make head nor tail of it, and said he would have to wait until he understood the Church’s way of speaking. After someone has sat in a church pew for a while, they will understand the archaic meaning of abide: to stay, dwell, to make your home in. 

St John adds to the initiates’ troubles with his mystical language. Mystical language enlarges the understanding via unknown paths, opening hidden doors to heart and soul; bypassing the intellectual faculties.  This is not to diminish the value of human reason and logic in matters of faith at all, for mind and heart, soul and body must work together if we are to function to human capacity. It is  only to acknowledge that our mysterious God also uses mystical ways to supply the deep wells of knowing that nourish one’s life with God. 

The language of the mystics is replete with references about being ‘in’ Christ, and he ‘in’ us. It speaks of Union, Deification, spiritual betrothal and marriage. For instance Julian of Norwich, writes “This beloved soul was preciously knitted to God in its making, by a knot so subtle and so mighty that it is oned in God. In this oneing, it is made endlessly holy.

Human language struggles to describe what is indescribable; but here’s the thing: Jesus calls all his disciples into this deep mysterious spiritual life, to one degree or another, saying: Abide in me as I abide in you.

We enter the mystical world after recognising two things: our insufficiency, and our need for God.

St Augustine described his relationship with God thus:  “Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you. And see, you were within and I was in the external world and sought you there, and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely created things which you made. You were with me, and I was not with you. …You called and cried out loud and shattered my deafness. You were radiant and resplendent, you put to flight my blindness. You were fragrant, and I drew in my breath and pant after you. I tasted you, and I feel but hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and I am set on fire to attain the peace which is yours.”

The mystical way is intimate, and drenched with love.

Because it is intimate, it is demanding; like all intimate relationships it’s about spending time with the one you love, being with them, listening to them, gazing into their eyes – just loving them.  In regard to Jesus this involves regular corporate prayer and worship and a commitment to personal prayer such as  meditation, Lectio Divina, practising the presence of God or contemplation. 

There are no rules in love other than love itself. Nor is there a map to show anyone how to explore a deeper prayer life; but if someone spends time with Jesus, he will lead her/him by the hand. In the Christian life, our practice is our compass.

Someone might say that the mystical life is a self-indulgent trip of ‘blissing out’ in ecstatic spiritual states. A ‘cop-out’ from real life.  True, many great mystics had strange experiences, and many – like St Paul – spent time out of society initially to enable complete concentration on God, but casting your eye down any list of mystics will reveal a group of active, engaged people - who also prayed a lot. Their lives are extraordinarily fruitful – Abiding in Jesus, the true vine, is the source of their fruitfulness.

And don’t take my word for it – what does Jesus say? Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit; because apart from me you can do nothing.

Apart from me you can do nothing.

There are various difficulties to surmount for the seeker. In a sermon, Bishop Brian Farran nailed the main hindrance to the Mystical Way: being attentive or present to God is a chief difficulty for most of us. We cannot assume that the usual operations of the Church in Diocese or parish… involve significant attending to God. The requirements of functioning develop a momentum and life of their own that can consume our attention and enervate us.

Love is a decision. 

Jesus is always with us.  When we ‘branches’ choose to be with him we receive from Jesus everything we need to bear fruit – the vital thing being love. Some declare love’s opposite is hate, others say fear: whichever it is, there’s plenty of fear and hate stalking the streets, driving people into inhumane behaviours. Love is both antidote and vaccine for love and hate: preventing the manifestations of fear and hate and offering healing if they occur.  It is God’s love, poured into us through the Belovèd, Jesus Christ, which has radically changed the world, and is changing it still.  If you read the renowned historian Tom Holland’s book ‘Dominion. The Making of the Western Mind’, you will be astounded to see how he traces the way the Christian ethos of love has moulded our society.

In John’s first letter we read “… since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another… if we love one another, God lives in us, and God’s love is perfected in us.”

Christians usually don’t realise that they are beautiful. You are beautiful, laden with the fruit of the love of Jesus Christ. Every small act of service, every encouraging smile and charitable thought, every moment of forgiveness, is the fruit of love, the fruit of your abiding in love, in Jesus. 

– listen to Dostoevsky, and know that you glorify God by your loving:

“Love all God’s creation, both the whole, and every grain of sand. Love every leaf, every ray of light. Love the animals, love the plants, love each separate thing. If thou love each thing thou wilt perceive the mystery of God in all; and when once thou perceive this, thou wilt thenceforward grow every day to a fuller understanding of it: until thou come at last to love the whole world with a love that will then be all-embracing and universal.”

God’s peace be with you