hidden treasure May 20, 2009

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; as soon as a man found it, he immediately hid it again, and from joy he sold all he had and bought the field.

-Matthew 13:44

Short quiz:

1. What is the treasure?

2. What is the field?

3. Why re-hide the treasure? Why not grab and go, if it’s that precious and no one saw you do it?

4. Who is the man who, filled with joy, abandoned everything to which he could lay claim in order to buy that field?

5. What did the man do with the field once he had it? Did the treasure stay hidden, or did he dig it up, now that he properly owns it?

6. Who buried the treasure there in the first place?

Some may already have decided the answers.

Obviously, the treasure is the kingdom of heaven. We’re told that much.

Some believe that “finding” the treasure is equivalent to hearing and believing the Word of God. When a man (a.k.a. you) comes along and discovers God, such joy instantly fills him that he must pursue God at all cost. Jesus told the rich man, who believed he had done everything correctly, to sell all he had and follow the Lord. This treasure-finder does exactly that – sells everything he has to follow God. It is an effective, illustrative story that inspires Christian men and women to the right attitude of discipleship.

But what if there’s more?

What if the story has a second meaning? Jesus also said “the fields are ripe for harvest,” in which the fields are human souls, ready to be brought to their God. He also said that the kingdom of heaven is within us. The kingdom of heaven is the treasure that God has buried deep within our souls, so deep that we may not even know it’s there. Jesus’ passion is finding that buried treasure – and when he finds it, he doesn’t take it and run, because the field is what he’s after. He already has the kingdom of heaven – what he wants is our souls. He put the treasure back and bought that field with all he had – with his own blood.

fuel for life May 15, 2009

from "The Secret Books"

The point of a good book is to bring clarity to your mind.

Every journey takes you to a new place.

I want to travel over every terrain imaginable, but in the end to be at home with peace.

What we’re all waiting for May 14, 2009

Breaking Dawn

First, deep space

rose high and flooded the stage,

immersing all the spots

where our thoughts could have fixed

if our minds had thoughts.

Which they didn’t. Then

the sun came out and stood.

That was all that happened,

and ever would.

-”The Day of the Sun”, Vijay Seshadri

I have a certainty I can’t explain, that despite all the beautiful, wonderful, loving and good things about life; despite the marvelous earth and the pull of stories; despite all the happiness and grief we have ever known or will ever know…the total magnitude of the experience of existence is only contained in one person – one soul for which we are all waiting.

For centuries on centuries

We have been wandering

But we were made for paradise

As deer for the forest …

And shining at the heart of it

Is the longed-for beauty

Of the One who waits for us…

-Anne Porter

Could it really be possible that the one we’re waiting for is waiting for us, too?

Some thoughts on beauty April 7, 2009

A beautiful image by Z.L. Feng

You can travel the world seeking beauty, but you will never behold it until you carry it within you.

I heard this on the radio and was reminded of an old definition of beauty I “invented” while a thoughtful college student. Beauty is living out the indwelling spirit of God. Seeing someone expressing love, mastering skills using a God-given talent, and expending energy in the service of God. Or doing those things oneself. Evidently this definition resonated with others at the time, as I heard many say they agreed and thought this perhaps puts into words the feeling of mystery, excitement, attraction, entitlement, and passion that apprehending beauty evokes.  There’s a wonderful poem that elucidates this idea better than I could.

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies dráw fláme;
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves—goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
Crying Whát I do is me: for that I came.
Í say móre: the just man justices;
Kéeps gráce: thát keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is—
Chríst—for Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men’s faces.
-Gerard Manley Hopkins