Many Epiphanies, Seeing the Light of Christ in Each Other

Many, many Epiphanies: Seeing Christ in All

Caryll Houselander mystic

“I was in an underground train, a crowded train in which all sorts of people jostled together, workers of every description going home at the end of the day. Quite suddenly, I saw with my mind, but as vividly as a wonderful picture, Christ in them all.

But I saw more than that; not only was Christ in every one of them, living in them, dying in them, rejoicing in them, sorrowing in them—but because He was in them, and because they were here, the whole world was here too … all those people who had lived in the past, and all those yet to come.”—Caryll Houselander, A Rocking-Horse Catholic (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1955), 137–139, 140. 

This twentieth-century English mystic, Caryll Houselander (1901–1954), describes how a powerful vision of Christ’s presence in all occurs on an ordinary underground train journey in London.  It brings to mind Thomas Merton’s epiphany in Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut.

“In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers.” — Thomas Merton.

This is the first line of Thomas Merton’s famous mystical revelation and epiphany in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, described in his 1968 journal, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, about the world of the 1960s. pp. 140-142.

Merton had been a Trappist monk for 17 years and was on an errand for the monastery on an ordinary day in March 18th, 1958. The story became so famous that Louisville erected a plaque at the site in 2008, at the 50th anniversary of Merton’s revelation. Ordinary people and popes continue to visit the corner of Fourth and Walnut, where Merton’s life-changing experiences and those of his readers began. 

 Merton’s and Houselanfer’s experience also seems similar to what James Finley describes in Christian Meditation: Experiencing God’s Presence as “having a finger in the pulse of Christ, realizing oneness with God in life itself.”

 This experience may also be similar to what St. Francis realized in nature when he called the sun his brother and the moon his sister. Richard Rohr calls it finding our True Self, “our basic and unchangeable identity in God.” 1

Methodists might relate it to John Wesley’s experience at 8:45 pm on May 24th, 1738, at a Society meeting in Aldersgate Street, when someone read from Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to Romans, and Wesley said, “I felt my heart strangely warmed.” 2

Suppose you ever have an opportunity to visit Louisville. In that case, we hope you can go to the corner of Fourth and Walnut and let us know what epiphanies may come to you in London, in the underground, on Aldersgate Street, or in a new place!

1 Richard Rohr in “Richard Rohr Meditation: Thomas Merton Part II,”  Center for Action and Contemplation, October 6th, 2017.

2 John Wesley in Journal of John Wesley (London: Charles H. Kelly, 1903), p. 51.

Joanna       https://www.joannaseibert.com/

Non-anxious Presence/ or Less Anxious Presence

Non-anxious presence/or Less anxious presence

“The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea.”—Anne Morrow Lindbergh in Gift from the Sea (Pantheon 1955, 1991).

Anne Morrow Lindbergh describes our ideal position in our relationships and ministries. We are waiting “choiceless,” like at the beach, for the gift from the sea to know the next direction and the next words, especially in any decision or conflict.

Family Systems dynamics teaches us that if we can remain a non-anxious presence in tension in relationships with others, we may keep tensions from growing and eventually solve any dilemma. I know a few who can remain non-anxious, for it is not a human trait. However, staying less anxious is a real possibility.

If we can be the least anxious presence in any situation, we can keep our arteries from tightening, which can take minutes and weeks off our lifespan. Our inner and outer presence will stay calmer. We become a vessel for the spirit to become part of the relationship, decision, situation, meeting, encounter, or ministry.

Answer: How do we become like the beach waiting for the gift from the sea Lindbergh describes? It certainly involves spiritual disciplines. Prayer and meditation before, during, and after each decision, ministry, and relationship are a good place to start.

We learn from our own spiritual disciplines and from hearing about the experiences of others who follow them: centering prayer, morning prayer, yoga, a rule of life, spiritual direction, corporate worship, and study. There are many more. Our tradition, scripture, and reason tell us that these disciplines are gifts from God to help us care for our souls and those of others.

 But we should never forget Lindbergh’s central message. The world in nature outside our confined world is also the primary setting from which to learn, know, and feel the rhythm of waiting to receive Lindbergh’s gift from the sea.

Joanna  https://www.joannaseibert.com/

A Message from North Carolina:: 50 Sandwiches

A Message from North Carolina: 50 Sandwiches

 'Truly, I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me." Matthew 25:40

Guest Writer: Pan Adams McCaslin

For over eight years, I have been actively involved with our area shelter agency, which serves seven counties in Western North Carolina. One of the many services provided includes feeding around 120 meals, three meals a day, 365 days a year, with takeout containers available for those not housed in the shelter or surrounding areas.

 Evening meals are provided by area churches, families, and civic groups who work in teams to prepare meals. During the pandemic, everything was served in takeout containers. We lost the ability to sit at the table together, share stories, listen to each other's anxieties, and better understand the circumstances of daily life.

In 2016, a Kickstarter project gathered stories of those living with homelessness – the book Fifty Sandwiches was the result. Its purpose was to raise public awareness, helping them understand that homelessness was more than just a lack of shelter.

"For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited me in,  I needed clothes, and you clothed me, I was sick, and you looked after me, I was in prison, and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:35-36.

Since Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina, shelter, food, and water have become basic survival needs for so many whose homes were either destroyed or no longer habitable. Compassionate care for those affected has poured in from around North America as restaurants that could not open due to the loss of potable water or other utilities provided food from food trucks or neighborhood grills.

The National Guard delivered food and water by helicopter. Construction equipment to move downed trees, destroyed water beds, and demolished homes appeared from northern states. College students unable to attend classes joined with non-profit groups to clear roads and debris. Utility companies from Canada and around the nation showed up to help rebuild utility lines. Neighbors helping neighbors, strangers helping strangers. "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat." 

The world is hungry for compassion and caring. Jesus calls us to pay attention - and act.

Who in your midst is hungry – for caring, for compassion,  for food, and for shelter?

Pan Adams McCaslin

Joanna Seibert joannaseibert.com