Urban Spirituality - Looking Up (5 of 25)

Here's the Wednesday blog series from Uncovering Joy: tales of everyday urban spirituality

Urban Spirituality – Looking up 

“O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence – as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil – to make your name known to your adversaries.” (Isaiah 64: 1-3) 

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying „The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.‟” (Mark 1:14-15) 

If we would just look up - if we would pull ourselves away from ourselves for just a moment - if we would come to see the center of our own lives is in the midst of the people around us, we may be surprised at how present and available are images of the Reign of God that are able to awaken in all of us hearts that are stirred up for the life within that Reign. 

It does not take much to become self-absorbed. We live in a society that encourages self- absorbing behavior. We are easily absorbed in our schedules, our work, our families, or simply building a world around us that we can control and manage. We even do this when we are attempting to nurture our spirituality. We can be so focused on “me” that the concept of “we” is alien to an experience of God‟s presence. Therefore, only some places and some worship experiences and some groups of people must be in place for us to be at rest with our world. 

It is so easy to become self-absorbed and never look up to see what is taking place in God’s Reign as we move through it. We know of the blessedness of God’s Reign – right? We have heard of the lion and the lamb – together. We have envisioned enemies at peace. We have wondered about the welfare of all being upheld as though it was the New Jerusalem - the Reign of God - coming so very near -as it was and is and will be. But we also know that we can be so close to that which is quite foreign to the Reign of God that we lose sight of God‟s working presence. We look to other things to save us or rule us or provide for us. We all know the signs of the coming of the Reign of God as well as we know what it means to see fresh buds on a tree. Then again, we all forget to look up and visit what is at hand. 

In a bookstore in New York City I was sitting and having a cup of coffee. Okay, it was a latte and I was completely absorbed in Slavoj Zezek‟s book Violence. My wife was out and about in the store amid the stacks of books. I was so absorbed in my little coffee table life and my conversation with this book, I was not concerned where she might be and I was quite unaware of the time. I looked up for a moment to relax my eyes. In reality, I was really only looking up into my thoughts – how I can use what he had written – how I could assimilate some of his radical ideas into my thought processes. In reality, I was not looking up at all...I was looking within – self-absorbed. 

When I did actually look up and took notice of those people around me, I was given the opportunity to witness the heavens being torn open and the Reign of God settling in so very, very near. There were two women sitting at the table right in front of me. One woman was reading a book and drinking coffee. The other woman (let’s call her Mary) was working with a few different cleaning solutions and a roll of paper towels as she cleaned the covers on children‟s books. She worked meticulously while wearing a smile of complete satisfaction. She not only did the work with passion, she handled each book like it was a precious item to be savored. She also was talking softly to herself. It appeared as though she was talking to the books and going over what she was doing and how much more work would be needed to complete the task. 

I went back to reading and contemplating the place of violence in our world the need for more disciplined peace-making and conversation in this warring world of ours. Just then, the woman who was reading moved her chair, stood up, told Mary she would be right back and she left to go the rest room. Within moments, another woman approached Mary and greeted her.The approaching woman worked at the bookstore and as she came close and greeted Mary, Mary’s face brightened and in a child-like manner joyfully pointed out the work she was doing on the books. The bookstore woman held out her hand and put a small pile of coins into Mary’s hand. It was as though a treasure had been passed on. Mary hugged her and said, “This is like getting paid for doing work.” Mary’s eyes grew wet with tears of appreciation while across a growing smile came words of thanks that could not quite express everything in her heart. 

Mary sat down glowing so brightly I could not pay attention to my book. It was then that I notice the tag at the very end of a chain necklace that was around Mary’s neck – an identification tag. Her friend now returned to their table and it was then that I realized that this other person was the guardian or caretaker of this wonder-filled star that pulled me out of myself to witness the heavens opening up all around me. Mary exclaimed about the coins and made sure her friend saw the whole pile. And then, she went back to work...paper towels, cleaners, books being made ready to be put up on the shelves of the store in anticipation of bringing a child a bit of joy. 

Later as we were leaving the store, I interrupted the woman who worked at the bookstore and confessed that I was a witness to their exchange and was completely awestruck at what I saw. She said Mary is brought to the store twice a week to volunteer and usually cleans the donated children‟s books. The staff person said that Mary did\n’t understand the concept of volunteer work so they offer her a small amount of change each time she comes to clean books.  Mary is brought to the store by a person who cares for her. 

I then realized a heavenly connection that I almost missed. Mary was brought by one who cares for her so that Mary can care for those books so that the books, once sold, will care for the people with HIV/AIDS who benefit from the sale of all the books in that store. Without looking up I would have missed the Reign of God coming so near I was literally sitting right next to it and surrounded by its power and life. 

Looking up can change us. It can pull us out of ourselves and place the world right within reach of us. That is the essence of urban spirituality. Coming to grip with the fact that the joy of the Reign of God is utterly available without having to go someplace else to find or see a piece of it. All around us we are present at a festival of life that will help to bring shape and color and texture to each of the journeys we enter. Looking up can take us out of the world in which we like to stay – a world of our making and arranging and controlling. Joy has a way of springing forth and pulling us into its expansive glow and life. I have yet to finish that book on “Violence” but I remember it so well because it was with me when I looked up and saw the heavens opened and the moment at hand full of God’s glory. 

Looking up can be dangerous. Once we have taken our eyes off of that which we want for ourselves, we may uncover joy that helps to liberate us from ourselves. In, with, and under the people around us and the dialogues that whips around us like the Spirit filling in the spaces of our lives, our hearts are made available to visions grand and simple – treasures in earthen vessels. When that takes place, there is the danger that we may be exposed to so much life and joy within the passing of the moments of our lives that we will be reminded to forever witness the presence of our God tearing open our lives. To be in the presence of God-with-us is to be open to a story line we did not know we would be entering. It may mean we will change direction and go in a new way. It may mean we will never underestimate the joy that can be brought into our lives by simply looking up and being drawn away from the lives we so readily try to control. Moses looked up...and there was a burning bush – holy ground – liberation – new life – joy. Imagine that! 
TRRR