Inner Work

For the week of May 14, 2007

Divine Embrace

Like a loving embrace between two people, the Divine embrace is mutual: God embraces us personally and we reciprocate. And like a human embrace, the Divine embrace can be, if only briefly, not of two, but of One, as we become the other and the other becomes us. Or rather, we both become both.

But is the Divine, as it would seem, truly out of our reach? This is the crux of the matter. We go about our lives with no immediate connection to the Higher and no thought that such a directly-experienced connection might be possible for us. And because of this seeming impossibility, we make no real attempt at it. If we pray, we tend to adopt the attitude of a relatively insignificant supplicant to some remote God. That we ourselves could today actually embrace the Divine seems farfetched. Yet there it is: our promise and our hope in the Sacred.

The saints are human, just like you. The one way to discover whether you also could touch the Divine is to try it. And if at first nothing comes, then persist day after day, year after year, in a heartfelt and sincere practice, a search toward that highest possibility.

So bring yourself into your best state, through prayer or meditation. And from that place open your heart, your mind, your attention and intention, simply and directly toward the Most Sacred. Beyond all objects, beyond life, beyond thought and beyond stillness, yet right here, the Divine awaits our approach to welcome us with open arms. Not in some distant heaven, but here within ourselves, we can touch and be touched by the Most Sacred.

For this week, spend at least a few minutes each day seeking the immediate embrace of the Divine. You may need some time for preparation. But also reserve time to actually go for it, to turn toward the loving mystery, to drop your inner barriers, to direct your entire being to finding your way into that Sacred Presence. And then like a long lost child returning home, invite the Sacred to embrace you.

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