My Teacher Across Centuries

“All roads lead to God for God is on them all evenly.”                                               ---Meister Eckhart, 1260-1328 C.E.

 As Thomas Merton wrote in the margin of one of his journals - Meister Eckhart is my lifeboat. When I first discovered the mystics during my studies in the 70's, I thought "I have found my people." Meister Eckhart  was my first, then along came a village with Mechtild  of Magdeburg, Hildegard of Bingen, Jacob Boehme, Julian of Norwich, Brother Lawrence and many others, including others not Christian, but from other centuries and places.

I discovered there is something like a deep well of wisdom and knowing and that some people in all cultures, all times, have drunk from this well and have known the same truths. You could say Cosmic Christ (as Colossians 1), the Tao (The Way) or use other terms. Interestingly, the original followers of Jesus were followers of The Way.

The same well is open to us. However, we need to prepare our inner ground so that the seed of God in us can grow and flourish, and so that we become ready to receive the immense Truths, Wisdom and Love that await us. To everything there is a season, and for the season of our spiritual awakening we now prepare.

We  need to become gardeners of our souls. Pull up weeds of negativity, fear, greed, selfishness, anger, hatred, etc. Spend time in spiritual practices from reading inspirational words, to prayer, contemplation, journaling, to good deeds of kindness and lifting others.

Be ready for a powerful awakening. Without preparation, we could not stand it or even understand it. As Jesus said that it can come like a thief in the night. Even though we prepare, it can be startling. It is absolutely wonderful and unlike anything else.