Quote for the Day

God does not dwell in a heart that’s confined, and a heart is only as big as the love it holds: in the great heart of Poverty God has room to dwell.

— Jacopone da Todi, quoted in
An Anthology of Christian Mysticism
edited by Harvey D. Egan.

Quote for the Day

Moses’ vision of God began with light (Exod. 19.18); afterwards God spoke to him in a cloud (Exod. 20.21). But when Moses rose higher and became more perfect, he saw God in the darkness (Exod. 24.15-18).

— Gregory of Nyssa,
Commentary on the Song of Songs,
quoted in An Anthology of Christian Mysticism
edited by Harvey D. Egan.

A weekend off…

Today I go to the dentist, have a morning meeting with my buddy Phil to talk about ministry at his church, and then will be interviewed by Bob Gregoire at 1:30 PM Eastern time/10:30 AM Pacific time (hope you can tune in!). In the afternoon I hope to work on either the revision for The Aspiring Mystic (which we hope to have published sometime in 2011) or else a proposal for a new book (which, God willing, will be published in 2012 or 2013).

And then after that… nothing.

For the first time in months, I have absolutely nothing planned this weekend. Well, that’s not quite true, as we will go see the new Harry Potter movie tomorrow and of course will go to mass on Sunday. But I have no “work” related commitments this weekend. No class to prepare for; no writing that needs to be done; no editing that’s under a deadline. Not only will I honor the Sabbath (something that, I must confess, I haven’t been very faithful to, since the book came out in July), but I’ll have Saturday for down-time as well. I’m going to hang out with Fran and Rhiannon, and try to do as little as possible.

To assist in this, I’m not going to post in this blog, unless something so stupendously awesome and time-sensitive comes up that I absolutely must write about it. Otherwise, I’m going to let it go (I’ll set up a couple of quotations to post on Saturday and Sunday, just to keep the RSS feed humming. But I won’t be back on seat until the first of the week).

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

 

Quote for the Day

A mystic is simply a man or woman in love with God, and the Church is hungry for such people.

— Catherine De Hueck Doherty,
from the preface to Catherine of Genoa’s
Purgation and Purgatory; The Spiritual Dialogue

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Is Christian Mysticism “Special”?

The Stairway of Perfection by Walter Hilton. Was he or wasn't he a "real" mystic?

Yesterday morning I received quite an interesting comment, posted on my webpage about Walter Hilton, from a man who I believe has never commented on this blog or website before. It’s the kind of comment that reveals just how much diversity there can be among people who share a common interest in mysticism — for this person’s idea of what constitutes “real” mysticism differs significantly from my own views. His comments are rather provocative, and hopefully I’m not being too snarky in my response! But he does raise some interesting issues about mystical identity, and the nature of authentic mysticism, including the perennial question of whether mystical experience is, in essence, an elitist or “special” phenomenon. Read on to see both the comment and my response, but read at your own risk, for the snark-factor contained herein is a bit higher than normal for this blog.

My Parents, circa 1978

My brother Donald took these pictures of my Mom and Dad in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, sometime around 1978 (I was in High School at the time).

Sylvia B. McColman, ca. 1978. Photo by Donald McColman

John D McColman, ca. 1978. Photo by Donald McColman

Interfaith Atlanta

Atlanta at night. Image by Stuck in Customs via Flickr

If you live in or near Metro Atlanta, and are interested in joining the great conversation between persons of different religions, faiths, and/or wisdom traditions, here are a few online resources to get you started:

• ATLANTA INTERFAITH LEADERS FELLOWSHIP — An informal organization for bringing together persons of all faiths who share an interest in interfaith world. The fellowship’s mission is “to provide a gathering place where persons engaged in interfaith work can share ideas and experiences for the purposes of support and inspiration.”
• FAITH ALLIANCE OF METRO ATLANTA — FAMA emerged in response to the tragedy of September 11th, 2001. Its mission is “to promote respect, understanding, prayer, interaction and unity among diverse faiths in the Atlanta region and to advance the influence and voice of the faith community for the common good.” FAMA’s board of directors features members from all major faith traditions. The board plans bi-monthly assemblies for the public to encourage interfaith experiences and awareness.
• WORLD PILGRIMS — Associated with FAMA, World Pilgrims sponsors interfaith pilgrimages for Jews, Christians, Muslims and adherents to other faiths, who travel together to a land with religious significance for each faith. According to the World Pilgrims website, “By sharing the sacred journey, true dialogue and learning take place. The participants deepen their personal faith by visiting some of the most sacred sites of their religious tradition; gain an appreciation of the shared elements of the three religious traditions, as well as an understanding and respect for the differences; and establish personal friendships with pilgrims from all three faith traditions, even in the midst of the complexities of the contemporary Middle East.”

There’s much more, including an interfaith Habitat for Humanity team, interfaith storytelling circles, an interfaith immersion experience (in which participants visit houses of worship or study connected with five faith traditions) and more. Visit Ben Campbell Johnson’s Website to learn more (Ben is an “elder statesman” of the Atlanta Interfaith Community, and is one of my heroes).