The Christian Mystic

 Some people long for a deep, intimate connection with God. It seems only right for a human, with spiritual needs, to desire a "divine encounter" or "mystical experience". It  has almost become a spiritual "right" for a personal encounter with the divine. Yet, is a divine experience deserved for human beings? Is it even something right for us to desire? And, is it an actual or valid knowledge of God? 

We are drawn to mystical encounter because they seem to supersede the  dreary, meaningless routine of everyday life--it's as if they puncture it with "the divine" and connect with a place in ourselves that nothing else can. And it is true to an extent, for we are made for "divine encounters".

Another aspect that pulls us in is the "experiential" element. Our parents were raised in the day where "facts" were where the deepest knowledge was found.  After the technology boom and the birth of the internet the amount of information exploded and we could see how much life was much more than facts and formulas. As facts and formulas have faded, the value of life-experience as knowledge skyrocketed. Rather than books, graphs and lectures, personal experience is now our societies most valued source and most meaningful epistemological (the study of the nature of knowledge) exchange. Mysticism has become an outlet for our cultures lack of experiential knowledge, and gives us some clues on how to practice it (often while presenting us a new belief system).

 Mysticism can be found in all of the major world religions: The Christian Mystics of the Catholic Middle Ages, The Kabbalist in the Hebrew tradition, and Sufism in the Islamic tradition. It has also highly influenced New Age beliefs (which are often just a rebirth of old pagan beliefs) and it's themes are in Buddhism (Zen and some Yoga practices) and other transcendent-self systems (Eastern Religions like Taoism). Mysticism is vague and has been overly defined and re-defined, and enmeshed into almost every religious tradition as those who have "a personal experience of the divine". Often, in mysticism, the melding of philosophies and ethereal/emotional language blurs the lines between beliefs and a mystic either affirms that all experiences are valid and/or denies all basic belief sets or knowledge but the mystic-experience. 

Any tradition is easily embraced for someone searching for the "supernatural". We were created for some sort of mystical experience, but when we have these experiences, who are we encountering and where are they leading? All knowledge, even experiential, must lead somewhere, and we would be wise to ask who they are and where they are taking us--lest we end up in some hellish place or entrust a false or wicked guide. Those who used to go on long journeys followed guides who knew the safe destinations and places of rest and resource, or at least had a good, trustworthy map. If we are going to set out, we need to know with whom we go, and where. (and if you are exploring these things outside of the Christian context, ask these questions heartily, and examine to whom you entrust your life).

To clarify, within the Christian context, Christian Mystical experience is distinguished by affirming that 

a) God is (and always will be) transcendent, infinite, holy, untouchable and unknowable by man. 

b) Man is created on a finite sphere, made of matter and spirit, unable to access the divine

c) If Man was to know anything of God, God has to reveal Himself to man (i.e. creation). Man is helpless otherwise.

d) God did reveal Himself to man, man chose finite things. (i.e. idolatry/autonomy). So, not only can man not know God, but man doesn't even want to know Him. 

e) God must come to man (and does come!) and not only reveal Himself, but give Him a heart able to receive Him as God, and to unify man with Himself. (i.e. Israel, the law, the covenants, Jesus, and the Spirit). Man needs both revelation of truth and a new heart to be able to know that truth. This is the foundation for any true mystical experience within the Christian faith. 

It is important to make this distinction, because Mysticism is only as true as its context. If the Mystic is a Buddhist, they will no more participate in divinity as a rock participates in the sunlight. All Mysticism is still idolatry apart from Jesus. Yet, with Jesus, such an experiences has relational potential. Our question now becomes, can Mysticism be a valid experience and tradition with modern Christianity? 

Since, in our context, the Christian Mystic is relating to Christ in a personal, heart-felt, experience, based in the Holy Spirit and fed by the Word of God--can I validate my spiritual experiences with Jesus as a part of Jesus' intention in salvation's story? (Which to me sounds a lot more like the Evangelical "personal relationship with Christ" that I grew up around) And/or are these experiences a normal (and necessary?) part of Christian growth? 

Within Christianity, mysticism is a haphazard word. Thrown out in conversation it can lead some to disgust, others to inquisition and still others to worship. It carries baggage of over-emotionality, new-age practices, eastern-traditions, and asceticism. It usually carries with it aspects of high devotion, expression (i.e. poetry), and aspects of contemplative prayer or meditation of the "divine mystery". Especially in regards to Protestant Christianity, who left the Monastic and Mystic tradition behind in the Catholic Church (whose nature is based in "reform", i.e. The Reformation, and has a distrust of tradition in general). She broke away from the Catholic and Monastic traditions in a declaration of free grace and immediate justification and sanctification from God--becoming a variety of denominations over the years. There has been various upsurges of Mystic variety throughout the protestant history, most notably in the American tradition is the Puritans. Yet even the Puritan tradition has been left behind in it's over-scrupulous, intense views on sanctification (There has been some renewed interest over the last few years). 

Stressing God's presence, His immediacy and His providence/sovereignty are some of the areas that Christian Mystics succeed. These three add up to a faith full of expectation which is so powerful for growth. They help to keep in the heart in a refreshing willingness toward God. And God delights in this sort of faith (and maybe more so than other dry genres or half devotions). The presence, immediacy and sovereignty of God places the heart in context of theology (God's Character) while still stressing His presence coming nearer to the heart to meet and to help it. God is enabled to act in the heart by faith, and His work becomes a daily process in one's immediate situation. It is also beneficial to see all works as God's hand moving in our lives--so our lives themselves becomes daily graces, and even difficulties become a Father's loving discipline. This can lead to acceptance and peace with "whatever comes". This sums to a delight in going "deeper" with the infinite God in intimate ways. And many have experienced amazing growth. Such sweet guidance can come from the ancient writers, and I think any Christian can (and should) long for a mystical, existential (experiential) encounter with the living God on a continual basis. It is the longing aspect that is so attractive about the Mystical tradition. 

 Yet, I have some recent concerns of Catholic/Monastic Mysticism, some of which you (or your tradition) may share. Things we may have already stumbled into while having "quiet times" with God. The themes of radical detachment, divine comfort and romantic divine love.  I struggle with these issues because, to some extent, I long for them too. Yet, the underlying assumptions are troubling me.


Radical Detachment:

“But the deceptive delight of those who are attached to creatures cannot compare with the joy of people who are detach from them.” (St. John of the Cross). 



Radical detachment as a sign of ‘devotion to God’ is opposite what Jesus has done for us. He came in the likeness of flesh and into the urban and rural culture of his day. He didn't encourage people to disconnect from each other, but to be reconciled to God. Somehow, in mystic writing, those two things become opposing forces, rather than complimentary actions. And maybe this is my mistake, since when I sought God through detachment from people, in the end I actually felt detached from people. It actually took a lot of time and effort to open up to people again—which was where God led me. Detachment actually reinforced my (dis)trust issues, and kept me from seeing myself in the mirror of community. God's nature is Triune, He actually invites us into community (Father, Son and Spirit), not apart from it. 


Further, it seems that radical detachment rejects the innate 'goodness' of God's creation. Since God created and called everything 'good', even with sin, everything still carries an heir of goodness with it. Jesus stepped into the broken world to redeem the creation, not to escape it, and I believe He calls us there too. Lastly, radical detachment seems to be based on an idea of "suffering" the loss of society and their "worldly comforts", for a truer interaction with God. The implication is, rather than waiting for suffering, why not suffer "the loss of all things" now, and enjoy God (a sort of self-chosen persecution). Thus, the presumption that those who lose their lives gain, really gain them...a predicate for divine comfort. 

Divine Comfort:

This detachment is for the sake of divine comfort, “a spiritual lesson…[frogs jump into water] because they felt safe in the depth of the pool and ‘that is what you must do, flee from creatures and hide yourself in God.’”(St. John of the Cross). 

  As for divine comfort, it is a much-needed thing in all of our lives. But, does it make sense to abstain from marital or relational comforts in order to plainly enjoy divine comfort? Since God made marital/social relationship (Gen 1-3), wouldn't it be a much more significant and meaningful display of His power and love to have the Spirit manifested within marital/relational commitments? It is undeniably good to withdraw from daily life for a time, but to commit to “not have comfort” in order to ask God for some sort of “better comfort”. This assumes a sort of better-ness and stands on backwards logic. It implies that God will only give the better comfort or affection to the one who gives-up more stuff--this becomes a self-centered relationship  God does not give us His love based on us, His love is based on Him, and it is our joy and call to delight in Him. It may be that accepting God’s comforts rightly (righteously), not denying them, is the fullest expression of us as His creation in His Kingdom.

Romantic Divine Love:

And this divine comfort blossoms into a romantic divine love,  “he felt his heart pulsate with love for the Child Jesus…he cried out, ‘Lord, if love is to slay me, the hour has now come.’” (St. John of the Cross). 


 Lastly, the arena of romantic divine love is tough for me psychologically (i.e. repression and the like) and theologically (i.e. creation and the like). Isn't romantic divine love re-creating the divine order to ‘go forth and multiply’? And wouldn't the denial of a marital relationship lead psychologically to such repressed elation bursting forth in the ‘intimacy’ of relationship with God? This isn't to deny the validity of such emotions or experiences, but I wonder if they would be more deeply enjoyed with a human being to express them with? Individual divine romance is glorified in the mystic tradition, but I think Christ actually came to restore real relationships where those types of emotions are experienced with persons. God did not come to replace the spouse or the friend but to redeem and unify them in Him. God never said He wanted an individual for His personal ‘bride’, nor did the early church ever make individual commitments like that. In fact, the only time an individual and God is paralleled in marriage is in Paul’s illustration of the act of marriage as similar to Jesus and His church. Otherwise all the marital language is either communal or people-group specific. Divine love was meant to be manifested within the Body, the Church. It is an immediate experience to be literally touched by a friend, and loved by a brother. 

Colossians 2
A deeply convicting verse, which inspires most of my struggle for discernment on these issues...

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of this world, why, s if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 'do not handle, do not taste  do not touch!' (which all refer to things destined to parish with the using)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and sever treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. (Col 2. 20-23).

How can we reconcile these things as Christians today when the themes of deep growth and God's presence are most thoroughly presented in the mystic writings? Yet our culture, and some of our basic beliefs are completely different than theirs. Can we enjoy God's Spirit with us without losing touch with our communities? Can we expect God's Sovereign hand in our lives without becoming fatalistic or over-imaginative? Can we long for God's presence without losing His immediate working in and around us? It should be a surprise to none of us that Jesus lived within this reality. He certainly had "mystical experiences", yet He was always grounded in the will of His Father and obeyed until the end. It is His Spirit that joins us to Him, and all that He is and has done and will do He has given to us in His Spirit. We are to commune with Him for real, and all that really is be a place to encounter Him. It may be simpler than we can think, that God really does and will come to us as we present ourselves to Him. He has liberated us from all formulas and has invited us into the the life of the Trinity, to be beloved by the Father, included by the Son, and informed by the Spirit and the Word. All Mystical experience must be in context of Jesus' life and His Spirit within us--He is the foundation for all Christian growth and all things are His.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high... Heb 1.2-3

 God is doing things His way since He thought of this whole idea . Any growing Christian would do good to consider, "that what you are studying may be helpful, but is it needful?" (Erik Thoennes). Our spirituality should be as simple as Jesus', what we can gather from His Word and His Spirit is sufficient for our growth. And it is true what Jesus said 2000 years ago, "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him."