On my recent trip to
Turkey, I had the wonderful opportunity
to experience a ceremony of the Whirling Dervishes. Dating from the 12th century, they
value an inner experience of God and turn in circles while concentrating on God
within them. While turning, they have
one arm up – with the palm open – to receive from God, and the other arm down,
with palm down – giving to the earth and to people.
St. Francis of Assisi, in his
famous prayer, said “make me a channel of your peace”. Martin Luther also understood that God’s Spirit
flows through us to others. All of these traditions understand there to be a
spiritual realm and a material realm, and that people can be the conduits of
God to the world.
In contrast, John Wesley, founder of
Methodism, understood that God is with us in relationships. He didn’t separate the spiritual and the
physical in quite the same way. In fact,
he said that serving one’s neighbor was the best way of serving God. We could say that John Wesley espoused more
of an incarnational understanding, in which God is experienced by relating to
one another in community.
Holy Week is traditionally a time to draw
close to Jesus and his journey to the cross for our redemption and
freedom. No matter how you understand
the meeting of God and humanity, God’s purpose in Jesus is to bring about a
change in life which is enhanced by God with us. May God find a home in you this week in a way
that touches you and then spills over to influence the way you choose to live
in gratitude for God’s great love in Jesus Christ.
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