A Letter to a Young Aspirant
A turbulent river is so agitated on the surface that the depths cannot be seen. Peaceful still waters can be seen into their depths.
When the Aspirant agitates and flings about, what can be seen is a lot of disintergrated energy dissipating impotently in all directions. When the Aspirant is in peace and harmony with herself and God, her soul can be seen in all its beauty.
All souls are beautiful because God makes them and dwells in them. To see a soul in all its beauty is to see God. But if God is to be seen by others, we must become still, peaceful in God and in harmony with him. It is God seen in the soul of a person that draws people to God.
When the Aspirant agitates and flings about, what can be seen is a lot of disintergrated energy dissipating impotently in all directions. When the Aspirant is in peace and harmony with herself and God, her soul can be seen in all its beauty.
All souls are beautiful because God makes them and dwells in them. To see a soul in all its beauty is to see God. But if God is to be seen by others, we must become still, peaceful in God and in harmony with him. It is God seen in the soul of a person that draws people to God.
An untamed horse is of no use to a man; the man must tame the horse if he is to use it.
An untamed person is of no use to God; God must tame the person if He is to use her.
The desert is a place of taming. The more we resist God's taming of us, the more painful it feels to us. The more we co - operate the more we may perceive God's love in it.
but whether that taming feels pleasant or painful, it is always God's love at work in us.
To be tamed is not to be reduced to an insipid submissiveness, with many of our qualities and talants imprisoned because they are prohibited. To be tamed is to be freed from the prison of self, all our qualities and talents freed for God to use and become strong and fulfilled.
A person imprisoned by self is not her true self. A person freed from self for God, is freed to be her true self. The more God rigns in a person, the more she is her true self.
The miracle is that the soul who reigns over herself is enslaved to herself, wheras the more a soul allows God to reign over her, the more she is free.
May you open and offer your deep heart completely to God and his love for you, so in that love he may do all he yearns to do in you.
Written by the Reverend John Keith
Year 1980
An untamed person is of no use to God; God must tame the person if He is to use her.
The desert is a place of taming. The more we resist God's taming of us, the more painful it feels to us. The more we co - operate the more we may perceive God's love in it.
but whether that taming feels pleasant or painful, it is always God's love at work in us.
To be tamed is not to be reduced to an insipid submissiveness, with many of our qualities and talants imprisoned because they are prohibited. To be tamed is to be freed from the prison of self, all our qualities and talents freed for God to use and become strong and fulfilled.
A person imprisoned by self is not her true self. A person freed from self for God, is freed to be her true self. The more God rigns in a person, the more she is her true self.
The miracle is that the soul who reigns over herself is enslaved to herself, wheras the more a soul allows God to reign over her, the more she is free.
May you open and offer your deep heart completely to God and his love for you, so in that love he may do all he yearns to do in you.
Written by the Reverend John Keith
Year 1980
A Meditation by a Young Christian
'His Chains are My Freedom'
'His Chains are My Freedom'
His chains are my freedom. My death is my life.
Love is the single note in the chains, yet they hurt, they crucify me. I did not ask for sainthood, I did not know the pain.
I prayed so long "Lord make me thine" - so perhaps it was sainthood I sought. I did not understand its process. I have seen a glory, an estatic transformation, I did not know, no did not perceive existed. But, I have seen the pain in that glory, I have perceived the state of Union. I now know transforming union is its name and nature.
The soul of man is transformed by God into God, yet itself, by painful crucifixion in the depth of love which telescopes, not only itself but the whole of creation.
Yes I have seen, can I turn away ? Yet can I go on. I do not want to die.
I watched the candle, every act of self - so abhorent to God. Yes I say, deep darkness to the Spirit of God.
Every act of self will darkens the soul. Lord I do not want to die. Who shall I be ? What shall I become ?
That is my sin, my tragedy, the tragedy of the human race.
Love is the single note in the chains, yet they hurt, they crucify me. I did not ask for sainthood, I did not know the pain.
I prayed so long "Lord make me thine" - so perhaps it was sainthood I sought. I did not understand its process. I have seen a glory, an estatic transformation, I did not know, no did not perceive existed. But, I have seen the pain in that glory, I have perceived the state of Union. I now know transforming union is its name and nature.
The soul of man is transformed by God into God, yet itself, by painful crucifixion in the depth of love which telescopes, not only itself but the whole of creation.
Yes I have seen, can I turn away ? Yet can I go on. I do not want to die.
I watched the candle, every act of self - so abhorent to God. Yes I say, deep darkness to the Spirit of God.
Every act of self will darkens the soul. Lord I do not want to die. Who shall I be ? What shall I become ?
That is my sin, my tragedy, the tragedy of the human race.
O Lord I want to keep myself, I do not mean my selfishness for you have made this abhorant in my sight, as is is more so in yours. I mean my essence.
My great fear is the realisation that the essence of the soul is transformed - that is sainthood.
Lord I am called to this, but I do not know that I want to go.
Man becomes good by the death of the self - in the deepest sense, but a saint by transformation of the inner self - the core of the being. It is this I dread with all my being.
Yet, I suspect, and only suspect, that it is not as fearsome as I believe. Why ?
Love goes all the way, love wounds, but strengthens, love infuses the path.
I have descovered something: Does the Lord wound ? Yes.
But in the wound a way through, perhaps a painful way through, but and exquisitely loving way.
There is no wound truly from God that is not healed by love in love and it does not bear the characteristics of mans wounding, which leave pain and hurt. It does not damage the personality and whether one sees this at the time or not, the soul is given to understand and is glad, yes very glad of its pain.
If this is its outcome, who would not cry out ? Wound me Lord !
Yes ! His chains are my freedom.
Diana May Cockburn
April 1981
Diana May Cockburn
2 June 2016
No Comment
My great fear is the realisation that the essence of the soul is transformed - that is sainthood.
Lord I am called to this, but I do not know that I want to go.
Man becomes good by the death of the self - in the deepest sense, but a saint by transformation of the inner self - the core of the being. It is this I dread with all my being.
Yet, I suspect, and only suspect, that it is not as fearsome as I believe. Why ?
Love goes all the way, love wounds, but strengthens, love infuses the path.
I have descovered something: Does the Lord wound ? Yes.
But in the wound a way through, perhaps a painful way through, but and exquisitely loving way.
There is no wound truly from God that is not healed by love in love and it does not bear the characteristics of mans wounding, which leave pain and hurt. It does not damage the personality and whether one sees this at the time or not, the soul is given to understand and is glad, yes very glad of its pain.
If this is its outcome, who would not cry out ? Wound me Lord !
Yes ! His chains are my freedom.
Diana May Cockburn
April 1981
Diana May Cockburn
2 June 2016
No Comment