Dieper Dinge Deeper Things

At this time, after modernism, there is a loss of spirituality and a loss of sense in purpose and meaning, which may result in a general hopelessness. At the same time there is a decline in the institutional church, but a renewed interest in spirituality and mysticism.

The meaning of mysticism

The Greek word mysterion in the New Testament refers to the mystery of God ‘s love for us revealed in Christ. In Christian vocabulary the term mystical theology therefore means knowing God as revealed in Christ and belonging to the fellowship of the mystery. Believers are incorporated into the mystery through baptism and live this mystery through the sacramental life and growth in faith, hope and charity.

For the Church Fathers, understanding scripture was not merely an academic exercise. It was something for which one prepares by prayer, purification, humility and love, with the aim of engaging with God through scripture. Through this engagement one is conformed to the image of God.

The mystical meaning of the sacraments is the way in which the sacraments enable believers to participate in the mystery of Christ ‘s death and resurrection. For the individual, the mystical life is that life hidden with Christ in God. The new life is implanted in believers through their spiritual death and resurrection in baptism and bears fruit as the union with God shows signs of the risen life of Christ.

Bernard McGinn discusses the term mysticism under three headings: mysticism as an element of religion, as a way of life and as an attempt to express direct consciousness of the presence of God.

Mystics do not practice “mysticism.” They practice Christianity. Mysticism is a part of Christianity which may be more or less important for a specific believer and which can be experienced in varying degrees of intensity and development.

Everything that leads up to and flows from the encounter with God is part of mysticism. In this way, mysticism is a way of life for the believer.

One term that many mystics used to describe the experience of the presence God is union. Mysticism can therefore also be described as that part of the belief system and practices of a believer that concerns preparation for, experience of and reaction to immediate and direct contact with God.

Mysticism, in summary, is communion between the believer and God. In Christian mysticism, this union can only be achieved through Christ. The mystical initiative comes from God and is an act of grace.

The relevance of mysticism

“to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:2-3)

A mystical reading aims to discover the deeper meaning of the text and brings to light the life contained and hidden in scripture. As such it may alleviate the “pastoral crisis of social displacement, the theological crisis of respeaking God, and the methodological crisis of how the read the texts of scripture.”(1) For example, some writers’ mystical reading of the beatitudes is interpreted to reveal that the blessed (happy) ones are totally dependent on God and have nothing of their own.

“A deep humility enables them to see that everything is a gift, and therefore pride has not place in them. As a result they are anxiety-free, since anxiety is a reflection of the ego’s fear and self-reliance “.(2)

This is in contrast to popular interpretation of the beatitudes that regards it merely as lists of rules or requirements in order to be blessed by God.

The text is now more readily acknowledged as a mediation of meaning which takes place as event in the reader and provides a ‘door’ as it were, between different dimensions of consciousness. Often the journey into new dimensions necessitates entering into the silence, the void, and the inexpressible. Such study of scripture takes the reader “beyond the clarity of understanding to the darkness of God, the mystery that is not a problem to be solved but the living flame of love ignited by the encounter with that love in Christ through the words of the Bible.” (3)

The experience of the presence of God brings with it a change of nature, a renewing of the mind and a transformation of the ego. This change not only affects the relationship of the believer with God, but also with fellow human beings. The community of believers is now at service to one another, with love as the aim.

The believer now no longer operates in the realm of the old nature (the flesh), but rather in the realm of the Spirit. The believer is indwelt and ruled by the Spirit. This transformation does not eliminate the individual personality. Instead, the believer becomes the best person he / she can be and achieves a higher level of living.

An individual ‘s spiritual development means growth towards a fuller union with God through prayer and a growing conformity to God ‘s will in life. This growth in oneness with God will tend to bring about a growth in good will toward one ‘s fellows and in personal integration.

When believers are conformed to God ‘s image in this manner, their behaviour changes, markedly with regards to their attitude towards fellow human beings. This is necessary for establishing the kind of Kingdom community that is part of God ‘s plan: believers full of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The characteristics and challenges of the 21st century

Modernism has resulted in the eclipse of the spiritual worldview and a loss of sense in purpose and meaning, which can result in the perception that there is no hope or purpose for the universe and our place in it.

We are living in a world full of alienation: a technological desert has been produced in which creativity is prostituted to consumerism, fertile land has been levelled and concreted, and air and water are poisoned by refuse and acid rain. We are also living in a spiritual desert in the midst of material prosperity. Existence is meaningless, empty, boring, because instant enjoyment is the order of the day. And when the instant is over, there is nothing left to enjoy. Denial of the God and heaven of our forebears leaves the future blank.

The 21st century is characterised by postmodern thought. Postmodernism is a reaction against modernism that denies the existence of any ultimate principles, and lacks the optimism of there being a scientific, philosophical, or religious truth which will explain everything for everybody – a characteristic of the so-called modern mind.

The processes of secularisation and post modernism have led to a breakdown in traditional patterns of belief, the disruption of family life, the growth of pluralism which renders all truth claims equal, changes in the social order, less hostility towards the spiritual, the growth of a ‘pick and mix’ style of faith and belief and a multiplicity of choices.

A survey of Australian youth conducted by the Australian Catholic Bishops a few years ago showed that in the hearts of young people today, fear is paramount. The threat of a future out of their control dominated by the possibility of global conflict and eco-devastation, the vast choices of a pluralistic society together with rapid change in communication, technology and science, lengthy unemployment, the ambiguity of widespread moral relativity, global corporate injustice, increase in reports of violence in society, marriage break-down and family dysfunction, drug abuse, suicide and mental illness, loss of credibility of traditional helping institutions including the church and material pre-occupation and religious apathy, all of these contribute to a sense of futility, alienation and even despair. Clearly, this fear needs to be replaced by trust and hope in the future, a future which embraces all of humankind. It requires good role models, but especially that experience of a power greater than ourselves, a sense of dependence on a creative, benevolent, guiding higher power which imparts confidence.

The meaning and relevance of mysticism for the 21st century

Within the context of Christianity, postmodernism may be described as a reaction against conventional wisdom in theology and the church and an assimilation of postmodern philosophy which questions objective truth and the nature of knowledge. It emphasizes the otherness and incomprehensibility of God. Paying close attention to the age-old philosophical question of the relationship of ‘faith’ and ‘reason’, postmodern Christianity usually thinks of the Christian faith as in some way transcending human reason, rather than being unreasonable, illogical, or absurd — on the one hand — or merely logical, on the other hand.

Postmodernism is therefore not only destructive, it is also constructive. The harsh values of modernism are being replaced by a new awareness that life can be lived poetically and mystically.

We learn from history that mysticism often starts blossoming in a culture that has reached a critical juncture where the people are alienated from themselves. Although the current age has been called ‘the dark night of the church’ there are some Christians who are willing to remain within the body of believers and help it to change for the sake of the Spirit, for community and in obedience to Christ.

This experience of union is a mystical, contemplative dimension of Christianity which in no way detracts from the strong ethical demands paramount in the Synoptic sayings and parables of Jesus, but rather presents the expression of the ideal as a self-giving love through the emphatic Christological statement of the Father’s self-giving epitomized in the image of the Son Jesus. This union in love is held out as a hope for all people and celebrates the inestimable value of humanity, for whom the utmost expression of this participation in the divinity is the communitarian life lived in loving service unto death. It involves union with the Word through faith in the Word, the Word which is ‘bread’ that nourishes, strengthens and satisfies, ‘bread’ which is at once the humanity of Jesus himself, his own body and blood, given for others. This unity is available through the Spirit, the Paraclete who leads to all truth.

Celia Kourie emphasises that the church needs to regain a mystical appreciation of scripture, as it will enable the church to:

* democratise church structures, which will result in greater co-operation between members;
* better understand the needs of a pluralistic society;
* more readily acknowledge the role of women, resulting in mutual supportive relationships within the church;
* develop a renewed ecological sensitivity as it becomes aware that each part of the whole is deserving or respect; and
* place more emphasis on the role of Christ as saviour and God and the way in which his followers become more like Him.

Conclusion

A mystical experience of God and a commitment to following Christ result in a change of the believer ‘s nature, which affects the relationship of the believer with God and with fellow human beings.

Postmodern Christian mysticism is an invitation to put union with God and experiencing the presence of God through Christ at the centre. A renewed understanding and a mystical reading of scripture can effect a renewal in the spiritual life of the believer and the church. In this way, mysticism is a gift for the church. Mysticism can lead to the revitalisation of the body of Christ and inspire the church to approach the 21st century with vitality, confidence and hope.

1. Kourie 1998: 441, Kourie 1993: 7
2. Kourie 1993: 17
3. Kourie 1993: 10

Bibliography

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