Gilbert Week: Day 4

Gilbert on God . . .

"The search for God is a reversal of the normal, mundane worldly order.  In the search for God, you revert from what attracts you and swim toward that which is difficult.  You abandon your comforting and familiar habits with the hope (the mere hope!) that something greater will be offered you in return for what you've given up."

"Devotion is diligence without assurance.  Faith is a way of saying, 'Yes, I pre-accept the terms of the universe and I embrace in advance what I am presently incapable of understanding.'  There's a reason we refer to 'leaps of faith'--because the decision to consent to any notion of divinity is a mighty jump from the rational over to the unknowable."

"Faith is belief in that you cannot see or prove or touch.  Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark.  If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of our souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would not be a courageous act of humanity; it would just be . . .  a prudent insurance policy."    (All quotes from Eat, Pray, Love)

I love the last part where she says that if we truly knew all the answers, our belief wouldn't really matter anymore.  It would cease to be a "courageous act of humanity."  Lately I've been thinking that if God does exist, how could we possibly claim to know everything about the nature of God and how to pursue God?  Why do we argue about which beliefs are right, when we could never really know the answer to that?  That seems a little arrogant to me.  Really, you know what God is thinking?  You have all the answers to life's mysteries?  But the fact that life is full of mystery shouldn't detract us from trying to figure it out, from seeking answers.  The beauty is in the search to know God.  Ok, now I'm thinking of another quote by Rob Bell.  This was supposed to be an Elizabeth Gilbert post but here it is:

"Being a Christian [or a believer] 

is more about celebrating 

mystery than conquering it." 

- Rob Bell      

Peace and love,

Chelsea

In the Meantime, Live!

Ah, childhood.  When were children, so much was decided for us.  Life was a no-brainer!  Wake up when your mom wakes you up.  Go to the school that your parents chose for you.  Do the homework that was assigned to you.  Eat what your parents put on your plate that night.  We didn't have a lot of choices, which ironically lead to greater peace of mind.  As a child I never asked, "Is Donaldson Elementary really the right school for me?" or, "Am I living my life to its full potential?"  I took what life gave me and didn't really consider alternatives.

As we become full-fledged adults (ack), it's a little scary how many choices we face each day, and how much power we have over the direction our lives.  Obviously, life happens, and we cannot control every aspect.  But on the whole, YOU get to choose where you want to live and how you want to spend your time.  As I face these huge choices, I long for one thing: wisdom.  Oh, glorious wisdom!  I search for it by reading books and talking to people who have been through similar experiences (i.e. friends, family, mentors).  Heck, I'll even trust complete strangers if I think they may have this coveted secret knowledge.

So what's the one huge flaw in all of this?  Probably the fact that I want the vast wisdom of someone who has experienced a lifetime, but I want it now... as a 24-year-old ... who hasn't had that many life experiences.  Silly Chelsea, don't you know that life's most meaningful lessons usually come from experience?  From choices you made that either made you happy or unhappy?  And often, it must be your own experiences, not somebody elses', that will teach you and mold you.

So here is to a life that is real and gritty.  May we learn from every experience and choice, even if it is an unpleasant one.  Let us not be afraid of making a wrong choice.  Wisdom, knowledge, and growth take time.  In the meantime, live!

"In Zen, there is nothing to explain, nothing to teach that will add to your knowledge.  Unless it grows out of yourself, no knowledge is really of value to you, a borrowed plumage never grows."  -- D.T. Suzuki