In recent days, I found myself contemplating a social media interaction with someone. I have known this person to be very zealous in his assertions and pursuits regarding God and spirituality. But, I found him to be surprisingly (and embarrassingly) ignorant about some positions that he was so strongly advocating.
He, like so many others, have co-opted teachings and beliefs that sound good, that seem logical, and many in which I personally embrace. The critique that I have of him and these others is what appears to be a lack of depth borne from a personal knowing and experience. There is a difference between a "sublime experience seeker" and a "doctrine pusher."
Certainly, few, if any of us come out of the womb having seen "heaven open." So, starting out, it is fitting that we find something to hold onto that will help us navigate life on earth. At some point, though, we have to take the training wheels off. God has given all of us personal gifts, but also gifts of knowledge that is initially concealed, waiting for us to discover it. Why do we shy away from revealing that which God has given us in all of its glory?
Let us then continue this contemplation with the assistance of an analogy.
In recent years, there was a high-stakes and high-drama game show on TV called Deal, or No Deal. Hosted by Howie Mandel, contestants came on this show to try to win $1,000,000. To play the game, contestants had to select a briefcase containing an unknown monetary amount (hopefully the $1,000,000). Then, they would open up the remaining cases one at a time, at random selection by the contestant, to confirm whether they had correctly selected the $1 million (or some other high/desirable amount) in their selected briefcase. As each successive case was opened and monetary amounts revealed, the odds of the contestant having selected a big money briefcase changed, and assuming that the contestant hadn't revealed any big money amounts, the odds increased.
There was a "banker" there to try to negotiate with the contestant to get them to give up their case before the very end. The "banker's" negotiations depended on the odds of the contestant having selected the $1 million case.
The hallmark of the game, was the high drama that surrounded the selection and opening of each of the remaining cases. Although the contestant came to play expressly to win $1 million, the contestant was almost guaranteed to win several thousands of dollars at least. So, just to play the game was a win.
As the game progressed, the odds usually worked against the contestant; still there was a lot of fear and drama surrounding the opening of the cases, as well as reluctance to give up their original case for a sure settlement.
It seems to me that this is the condition that we find the vast majority of religious folks in today. We are holding tightly onto religion, knowing that it is quite valuable. Just having it is a blessing It is nice and shiny, but closed. Until we actually open the case and look around in it (i.e. seriously study), we won't know exactly what's in there; and if we don't open it, none of its contents will be useful to us.
Let us use as our anchor the familiar parable of the talents, particularly, the plight of the servant who only received one talent. Often, we refer to it when wrestling with our own life purpose, or when we're being lazy, have fallen into a rut, or are otherwise not living up to our potential.
Certainly, God has given us many gifts and talents to use in this life to advance His Work and to fulfill His Will. We are to, in short, be our best selves; and by being so, we automatically emit a certain Light that others who are seeking will see and be drawn to. But, how do we discover or unlock these talents? Many of us spend decades trying to understand ourselves and bring forth our true spiritual gifts.
But, religious folks, and spiritual seekers in general have been given a way of life that greatly aids in this process. Unfortunately, this Way, a Way that is often presented to us in symbols and mysteries under the guise of a religious organization, doctrines, or ritual practices, remains largely closed to many practitioners. Furthermore, especially in recent years, many have become complacent, having given up on regular, timely attendance at services, given up on daily personal devotionals/meditation, given up trying to learn something new, and are content with attending the (brief) worship service--and even then, some folks complain about the singing, about the preaching, about the preacher... or check out on their phones...
The question begs, "Why even come?" And yet, just like the servant who received only one talent, these ones realize that this Way is a blessing that has value. They just don't know what to do with it; so like the slothful servant, they hide it, or perhaps better stated, they hide from it!
How ridiculous would it be for someone to give you a gift wrapped in pretty paper, and you not open the gift for fear of tearing the wrapping paper? Conversely, how frustrated or offended would you be if you gave someone a beautiful gift, an expensive/valuable gift, and they were content to put it out to display on their mantle simply because the shiny paper looks good?
Consider this scenario. Someone comes to your house and sees the beautifully wrapped gift sitting on your mantle piece. The guest remarks, "Hey! That's a beautiful piece!"
You respond, "Yes, it is, isn't it? A great man/woman gave it to me (however long) ago." You go on and on about the progenitors, lauding them and their successors. You rave about the shininess of the paper, the colors used, the pretty bows that adorn it. You exude humility that these folks thought so much of and sacrificed so much for you just to give it to you.
While you are speaking, the guest goes and picks up the gift box from the mantle piece and notices that it is, in fact, a gift box that has never been opened. The guest asks what, to him, is an obvious and benign question: "What's in the box?"
Taken aback, you stutter, "I don't know..."
The guest asks the next obvious question, "Why have you never opened it after all this time? You don't even know what you have!"
You feel embarrassed because it forces you to face the reasons why you didn't open the box. You fell in love with that shiny paper... it looked so good on the mantle piece... Why did this guest have to come and ruin our illusion? So, instead of facing it and finally opening the box, you take offense and want to put the guest out of our house, lest he actualize our worse fear and be so bold as to take it from us!
Parenthetically, is this why we don't invite people to worship or otherwise spiritually commune with us? Is this how we treat people who do come?
So, week after week, many of us have made it a habit to come to services to look at the shiny box on the mantle piece while we sit and gossip with our church buddies about things that have nothing to do with the box or what's in it.
We want the blessings due to the spiritually faithful, but don't want to be in the place where those blessings will flow (i.e. the Promised Land of a renewed mind, heart, and spirit). To get there, we have to move and we have to change.
If we want our religious/spiritual teachings to be maximized, we must metaphorically open the case! Let us not be afraid of the price that must be paid, i.e. the sacrifice of (ego) self--not totally, but as the final authority in your life. We must endure the sacrifice of being different, being set apart, and possibly ostracized or even ridiculed.
Open the case! Look at these teachings with child-like wonder. See them as if you have never seen or heard them before.
Open the case! What catches you eye? What draws your attention? What Voice do you hear?
Open the case! Let us not shy away from revealing that which God has given us in all of its glory! "...the one that will ...do it will surely reach eternal life without fail..."