A wise Hebrew king once decided to explore folly, madness, riches, and work in order to figure out the essence of wisdom, the best way to organize a mind, the most satisfying approach to life. His conclusion was to remember the Creator. Elizabeth Gilbert's quest was motivated by similar questions. It took her to Italy, India, and Indonesia and on the way she allowed herself to be confronted and to confront pain, anger, shame, and brokenness. In the end she is much healthier and happier and she has arrived at an approach to life that feels full. Her writing is courageous and intimately authentic - I resonate with many of the situations, emotional dilemmas, and, what's more, I understand how to enter the spiritual world and linger there. However, I have quite different spiritual boundaries and, remembering my Creator, I prefer not to empty my mind through meditation but rather to allow Him to transform it. Another author, George Otis, Jr., explored the similarities of spiritual experiences between the various religious traditions. He is a theologian and his book, apologetic -in the formal theological sense of the word. I lean towards Otis' bias, rejecting the notion that every tradition contributes desirable, positive spiritual value and careful not to issue spiritual invitations to serpents or other familiars no matter how they purport to transport one to another place or state. There is a spiritual hiding place that, while not at all "safe" to first access is filled with peace and there, in Him, I hide in plain sight. I would love to go to lunch with Elizabeth Gilbert. An honest person, a New Yorker, an authentic seeker after truth, she and I would have an interesting respectful conversation.
Gilbert, Elizabeth. Eat Pray Love. 2006. Penguin Books.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
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