Scientists and Lowlies: abstract world and incarnation

(Mt 11:25-27)

 

 

"The world gives credit to the "wise" and the "learned", while God prefers the "little ones". The general teaching that follows from this is that there are two dimensions of reality: one deeper, true and eternal, the other marked by finiteness, impermanence and appearance" [Pope Benedict].

 

God's broad Reason is not according to 'fortune', or 'measure'

 

In commenting on the Tao Tê Ching (iv) Master Ho-shang Kung writes:

"Human desires are sharp and subtle, striving to appropriate merit and glory. When they are blunted, man masters them, and in imitation of the Way, does not fill himself'.

 

The leaders looked at religiosity with an interest. Professors of theology were accustomed to evaluate every comma on the basis of their own ludicrous but supponent knowledge - unrelated to real events.

Jesus finds himself against even his own family. Under the cloak and blackmail of customary social conventions, they too were subjected to the preconception of the opinion of the 'great' and the evasive oral tradition, which did not convey nourishment to the concrete fabric of human time.

The Lord observes: even the Apostles are not free people; that is why they do not emancipate anyone and even prevent any breakthrough (cf. Luke 9).

Their way of being is so grounded in standard attitudes and obligatory behaviour that they result in impermeable mental armour.

Their predictability is too limiting: it gives no breathing space to the path of those who instead want to reactivate themselves, discover and value surprises behind the secret sides of reality and personality.

 

That which remains bound to ancient customs [or abstractions] and usual protagonists [or sophisticated pseudo-teachers] does not make one dream, is not an apparition and amazing testimony of the Other; it takes away expressive richness from the Announcement and from life.

The Master rejoices in his own experience, which brings a non-epidermal joy and a teaching from the Spirit - on those who are well disposed, and able to understand the depths of the Kingdom, in ordinary things.

[At a certain point in the spiritual journey, one realises in Christ that one must detach oneself from the idolatry of deference: it stifles and mocks life.

Faith proceeds on the track of the Happiness of the concrete woman and man, conversely made into puppets by a false piety that is all exhibitionist or disembodied].

In short, after an initial moment of enthusiastic crowds, the Master delves deeper into the themes and finds everyone against him, except God and the least: the weightless, but with a great desire to start from scratch.

Gleam of the Mystery that leavens history - without making it a possession.

 

At the conclusion of the encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis cites the figure and experience of Charles de Foucauld, who - subverting everything - "only by identifying himself with the least came to be a brother to all" (no.287).

At first, even Jesus was stunned by the rejection of those who were already satisfied with the official religious structure and no longer expected anything that could oust the beaten track, arousing habits (or fantasies) and profit.

Then he overcomes the initial surprise: he fully grasps, praises and blesses the Father's plan, making it his own, holding it close to him.

He brings to full and proper awareness his Secret: that the Root of the transformation of being into the Unforeseeable of God is concealment, "tapinōsis" [(tapeínōsis, "lowering"), from ταπεινός (tapeinós, "low") [v.29; Lk 1:48].

Here the Son knows and understands the nucleus of the Expectations and Promises of the Covenant, and its protagonists - on the contrary: the trustworthy Person is born precisely from the lowly, not from the class of elites.

In short, Christ intuits the all-round authenticity precisely of the underdog - the profound impulse, motive, motor, quintessence and unique energy of salvation history.

Transparency of the Eternal, which comes from another elaboration.

Genesis itself that upsets the established religious relationship, which has sometimes become inert and 'reassuring' - never profound nor decisive for human destiny.

 

God is Simple Relationship: it demythologises the idol of greatness.

The Eternal One is no longer the master of creation [He who manifested Himself strong and peremptory; in His action, still in the ancient Covenant illustrated through the irrepressible powers of nature].

Quite the contrary. In this way, reflexively, and also on the spiritual path, the Father does not lead us to alienation, to the hysteria of forcings we do not want, to inner dissociations.

He is Friend and Refreshment that refreshes, because He makes us feel complete and lovable; He seeks us by Name, He is attentive to the language of the heart.

He is Keeper of the world, even of the unlearned - of the "infants" (v.25) spontaneously empty of boastful spirit, that is, of those who do not remain closed in their sufficient belonging.

As it is, 'perfect' in order to their mission in the world. Not empty glasses, only to be re-educated in institutional function.

No longer souls to be chiselled according to models.

If anything, hearts to be guided to total awareness; souls to be completed in the sense of complete self-discovery, in the opposites of character and vocational essence.

 

In this way, the Father-Son relationship is communicated to the poor of God: those endowed with a family-like attitude (v.27).

Capable of co-existence, yet more autonomous than the identified and well-integrated... totally committed to the tracing, in order to be recognised.

The poor remain genuine: what they are; not outsiders.

Insignificant and invisible, lacking great gifts, but strangely always filled with an Other 'power'.

It is the 'virtue' of the infirm, who abandon themselves to the proposals of the providential life that comes, like children in the arms of parents.

With a spirit of 'pietas' - which favours those who allow themselves to be filled with innate wisdom.

The only reality that corresponds to us and does not present the 'bill': it does not proceed along the paths of functional thinking, of calculating initiative.

 

Wisdom that conveys freshness in the readiness to receive, welcome, personally re-fill the Truth as a Gift - and the spontaneous enthusiasm itself, capable of realising it.

 

A simple prayer of blessing, for the simple - this of Jesus (v.25) - that makes us grow in esteem, fits perfectly with our experience, and agrees with ourselves; starting from the innermost.

But which, strangely enough, the scholars on the ground who do not live 'the spirit of the neighbourhood' (FT no.152) but on the ground claim positions and always play smart, have never wanted to convey to us.

The new, the voiceless and invisible do not reason in terms of doctrine and laws - vv.29-30: unbearable "yoke" that crushes people and concrete, particular vocations - but of life and humanity.

Thus they enrich the fundamental and spontaneous experience of Faith-Love, fulfilling it without mannerisms or intimate forcing that then pulls us out of ourselves.

Because the exteriority of the pyramidal world, the distrust of those who want to "count", the anxiety of the competitive and epidermic society, impoverish the gaze; they contaminate the vital wave.

 

For God, it is better to 'count' little.

He does not force us into the energy of models, nor does He propose as an ideal the aggressive power of the 'big shots'.

In this way, his intimates, instead of only with the 'big' and external, will live of Communion even with the 'small' in themselves; or they will not enjoy amiability, nor authentic life.

 

 

To internalise and live the message:

 

What do you feel when you are told: 'You do not count'?

Does it remain a humiliating contempt or do you consider it a great Light received, as Jesus did?

 

 

 

Exceptional Faith, ardent Conversion

 

The Burning Bush

(Exodus 3:2-4)

 

Conversion in the biblical sense is not turning back, but entering into oneself so as not to become estranged, and rediscovering one's roots in order to know how to intervene, unleashing the flame of one's essential Relationship.

Conversion has nothing to do with the disinterested tactics of those who close themselves off from the world, avoiding involvement until events have negative repercussions on their own interests.

But how can we take the measure of reality, how can we understand it? How can we understand ourselves? And where can we draw guidance, wisdom and strength to propose wise solutions and effective actions?

Moses is an outcast because he is hasty. His impulsive behaviour forced him to flee into the desert. Here he gets into more trouble, again because of his fiery temperament. So he decides to calm down and settle down.

But the solution is not to refrain from getting involved in helping others, forcing himself to choose a quiet life. The fire that burns in his chest and mind does not go out; even when dormant, he always carries it with him.

Only God understands that it is precisely his dark side and his irascible nature - like no other energy - that can make him the protagonist of an absurd plan in favour of the people, and will lead him into difficult situations and territories.

It is a risky task that will force him to draw on his determination, his impulses, his convictions and every resource, even the least virtuous. It is a mission that is uniquely his, impossible for other more balanced and peaceful souls.

 

How can we explain the passion for freedom of the humiliated?

We find it within ourselves, like a flame that burns relentlessly. It rises spontaneously, despite cautious attempts to stifle it.

For his crazy plans of redemption, God needs someone exactly like us, just as we are. With our immense unexpressed resources, hidden even behind individual bloodshot eyes.

Qualities that arise spontaneously and have their own path of conversion, but which sooner or later must come into play as they are.

They express ourselves deeply, and the Call of the Father.

 

Various conditioning factors can create errors in the perception of our personal uniqueness, as well as its development and destination.

The great risk is to spend our lives dissipating our character identity in search of induced illusions and conditioned reflexes: of what we are not and do not even want.

Not only distractions, but also too much reasoning can cause us to lose our way to the home that is truly ours.

Continuing to insist on what damages the development of the soul and its full flowering makes it indecisive or cunning and stubborn - especially if it is impressionable, fearful, or even receptive and defenceless.

Our fundamental Eros comes into play when it realises that reality or its (defined) cultural paradigm can cause us to lose our way.

Vocation then manifests itself to our personal 'vision' in a sort of energetic image, reserved and unique, which makes us think with dreams, guides us, draws us along without knowing why or where.

 

Believers who experience this inner Fire that never goes out are not introduced into a world that only wants to endure, where everything is already carved out and the goal is well known.

The Father's Flame does not express itself through artificial recitations: it wants to recover and bring home all our resources, our essence and its jewels - to be exalted rather than hidden.

These are jewels to be extracted from the world of careless and closed certainties. They are the pride and joy of the soul, often hidden behind aspects and tendencies that appear obscure to eyes worn out by clichés.

Often it is precisely our side unknown to the patterns that is the 'spark' that urges and acts as therapy for the sick soul; it takes it by the hand, and with due energy becomes a guide to the relevant discovery of oneself - and a great service to others.

The burning bush in the flesh - divine revelation - ignites so that we may realise the dream of our dreams. Not so that the soul becomes increasingly uniform and bound, or fundamentalist.

Only our Torch-that-never-burns-out Core, constantly at work, can prevent those who are born revolutionary in spirit from quickly becoming armchair revolutionaries.

This happens in the banality of ideologies as in the conformism of religions, but it cannot happen in the sphere of the life of Faith.

In this way, the dance is not led by external control: goals, intentions, ideas, plans, or codes... but by passionate and pulsating forces that question us every day about the tide that comes to visit us.

 

Providence acts as director, mysteriously courting and directing unrepeatable strategies that run through history, attracting and dragging us along, unlocking mechanisms and enhancing energies - even making us change, remodel or accentuate our characters.

We must abandon ourselves to these highly personal lines. Not out of need, duty, calculation, or just to understand something more, but to enjoy the spiritual Light; the rays of Love, near and far, creative forces within and around us.

The Flame returns to spur us on to rekindle the personal balm of instinctiveness, the possibilities of realising our nature.

The absurd desire that explodes within us wants to expand the possibilities of Sap - both of the tree and of the roots themselves - to make us become well-rounded people.

Thus, we will no longer try to resemble our 'models':

The principle of this transmutation, which bursts onto the placid and conventional scene, has re-proposed the reason why we are in the world.

It is our task that saves our lives... or the very aridity of the 'types' we are expected to conform to.

Here we are, then, ready to reset and surprise our nostalgic and dead side, or the dark evil of living - and exhausting ourselves for a wisdom that has nothing more than Wisdom.

Once the brilliance and beauty of the Torch are extinguished, its energetic virtue on our flesh fades, dampening the enthusiasm of the soul - extinguishing action (as in a state of starvation).

 

The passionate state is the force of thought and practical intellect.

Intimate involvement makes our identity-character fly, and has significant repercussions on others.

It is the guardian of independence. It integrates us, overcoming the sense of imperfection or existential emptiness.

Primordial intelligent energy recognises our essence and brings the soul back from external events to the Core: from vicissitudes, things and wounds to our innermost and richest being.

It knows that from the stimulus of this source centre—an intimate, primordial bond with our origins—astonishing events, unknown inclinations and the magic of unexpected occurrences will spring forth.

A new Creation.

From this House of new life and different hymns, a whole world of relationships unfolds... new commitments, brilliant intuitions, practical skills, which weave the magic of the soul's reciprocated love.

It is this Source that takes over again when it realises that we are not fulfilled, or that we feel betrayed by it - that is, to overcome fears, feelings of desolation and bitter abandonment. Like a power that calls us back to ourselves, to our unexpressed talents, to the energy of the gaze that captures the meaning of a story, of the genius of our territory or time. And it crosses them, making us lean forward.

It becomes the daily compass of life and transformation. But it does not tolerate the interference of external judgements, which do not dwell deep within but contribute to creating the atmosphere that surrounds us.

It seems like a force that happens, an energy that cannot be directed or explained by a universe of ready-made meanings, by planned emotions and symbols, or manipulated to obtain submission.

Ready to rise again as, when and why we least expect it; only to regenerate and make exponential the unusual, autonomous seed of the soul. As it is: ascetic effort would yield poor results.

 

The hidden Source expresses itself in events imbued with the future, steeped in an atmosphere of Presence.

Events imbued with an entire side of our personality, and not just some offshoot of its social meaning [nomenclature].

The Roots manifest themselves in actions that contain knowledge that is still unexpressed but highly potential, emotionally vital. They solve problems by acting in their own way.

Precisely what we do not yet know about ourselves (aptitudes, desires) may be the secret, the springboard for our blossoming. A discovery that springs forth innately, not a path taught and recognised as masterful.

The true measure is deeper.

We lose ourselves in banality if we do not discover our personal seed - and assume that we already know the direction: what to love, how to say and do things according to instructions.

The world of acquired knowledge is often the enemy of the hidden process, which continues to want to carry out its theme and reject what it does not want to absorb, because it would counteract it.

And that is the whole game: not to weaken, but to intuit aptitudes and let them be, even if they are contradictory.

And let them dance without placing them, identifying them, or lining them up according to custom or ideal - thus numbing them.

 

This distinctive feature has the flavour of the Eternal.

It gives rise to a constantly renewed gaze, which forms spontaneously along the way.

Preparing for the New, which cannot bear expectations.

Therefore, the unexpected spark of the heart [which never fits] cannot be humiliated, threatened, shattered, removed or alienated.

 

It is our consistent Inclination, which releases a clear radiance of Uniqueness.

 

 

For Jesus we are not a 'mass', a 'multitude'! We are individual 'persons' with an eternal value, both as creatures and as redeemed persons! He knows us! He knows me, and loves me and gave himself for me! (Gal 2:20) [John Paul II]