I am reading a book right now written by Paul F. Knitter that is moving me in many ways. Usually I can finish a book in a day or two, but this one is in it's 3rd day and I am on page 75 of 227! The book: "Without Buddha I could not be a Christian". It is the story of a priest who was having struggles with his faith and how the basic concepts of Buddhism actually restored and strengthened his faith. Fascinating book.
He speaks of a concept called Groundedness that has stuck with me (since way back on page 42!) His definition: "I'm trying to express the sense of being part of, or belonging to, something bigger than myself; I feel that this something bigger includes me or even embraces me. In other words, it is trustworthy.....In the Goundedness, there is something that holds us or carries us. Paradoxically and mysteriously, there's a ground in the Groundedness."
He then speaks about the pain that we experience in this life. I thought back to when I was the editor of my high school yearbook when we chose to dedicate the book that year to a seven year old who had died from leukemia. I thought of a friend who had committed suicide back in 1985 and then the far too many friends since then who have done the same. I thought of a friend who was engaged to be married when he died in a tragic car accident. I thought of some of the betrayals in my life that caused so much pain and agony. I thought of the incredible pain of divorce. I thought about some of my darkest hours when I simply wanted to check out and not return.
You know what I am talking about. You've been there too. Incredible pain and anguish. Times when you didn't know if you could make it for another day, or hour, or even minute.
And yet somehow I, we, got through that pain. Maybe we had another child or found a new spouse. Maybe we made new friends or found a new job. We had something new somewhere along the line.
And then we look back. We ask the question "How did I get through that painful experience?"
The answer is Groundedness.
Last year was the most painful year of my life. I don't remember much of it to be honest with you. I look back and wonder how I got through it. Others, who know in great detail of the year's events, wonder how I got through it. Looking back now, I know it was because of Groundedness. I couldn't see it then because of the pain, but looking back now, I now can see.
My son, sister, and a few others, were encouraging me along the way, but it would not have been enough without the Groundedness. Groundedness is the personal presence of Spirit that was there for me. I could not see the Spirit and Presence of God in most of my experience. I could not even feel that Spirit most of the time. But Spirit was there. Spirit guided me, brought people to encourage me, arranged circumstances to keep me going, and was quite simply there for me without me even being able to acknowledge it.
I am a man of faith. I believe in Jesus. I try my best to follow His teachings. I could claim that I made it through difficult times in my life because I am strong or that I always land on my own two feet, or even that like a cat, I have nine lives. But the truth is: that the Spirit was there to hold me up. The Spirit was there to say the word of prayer that I could not even find. The Sprit was the one that knew what I was going through even more than I could possibly understand.
Tragic things will happen in this life to all of us. The death of loved ones, divorces, betrayals, natural disasters, freak accidents.....plug in your own tragedy. We will not know how we can continue on. We will not possibly know in the midst of the tragedy how we are simply putting one foot in front of the other. That's ok. The Spirit, His presence, will be there. Groundedness will be there even when we cannot see or necessarily feel it. We will make it. We will be okay. We will find peace and rest.
Romans 8:26-27 English Standard Version (ESV)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Blessings,
David
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