How Do You Relate To God?
At the outset of our spiritual journey, our primary perception is of a huge chasm between ourselves and God. Into the state of the soul trapped in duality some light begins to shine. At the turning point a critical event shakes the soul. Everyday life is interrupted, either by a crisis or by a sudden epiphany, or by both, in what is described as the dark night of the soul.
For Christians this is the moment when a sinner sees the light, but the same imagery occurs in every spiritual tradition. To an outsider the whole experience sounds dubious, like some kind of hallucination. But Jesus doesnt deny that this is the case; he just ascribes a different value to it. Salvation is a glimpse of reality; perception begins to detect illusion.
The astonishment of experiencing the turning point inevitably fades away. Descending back into mundane existence is very much like falling out of love. Your heightened perceptions return to their former state, which seems dull now.
When the divine presence is gone, only emptiness remains. Look for some way to re-create the departed blessing. The most powerful thing that anyone can do, however, is to fill the void directly: going inward to find peace and silence; following the trail of spiritual clues; paying attention to the guidance of your soul; seeking your own essence; finding the presence of God; removing obstacles and inner resistance; changing your allegiance to the soul.
I think nothing here is incompatible with Christian life. The aftermath is a precarious time, and some people dont strike out on their own; they are attracted to the safety and comfort of organized religion. Perhaps the prospect of an inner path feels too mystical or abstract, though I am amazed at how many people do not choose going inward as their first response to the aftermath.
Adapted from The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2008).
