Wonderful! I believe the same principle is often present in prayer. I do not experience God's gift to me until I have emptied myself in speaking to Him. It is not until one is empty that they can receive a gift in its fullness. I do not "hear" God until first I have spoken. He is always first and yet also always second. This is also trinitarien--He is the one being spoken to, the one who is the object of love, and yet He also is the one praying in us. And lastly, He is the gift that the One we love extends to us after He has gotten through praying within us.
Hi JS ... Your thoughts on prayer and the process of emptying to receive God's fullness resonates with me. The idea that we must first speak to God, emptying ourselves, to truly "hear" Him is helpful. It reflects that paradoxical truth in our spiritual journey: the necessity of being both active and receptive in our relationship with God. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this, Jonathan. I immediately had to think about Meister Eckhart and also Kierkegaard. And Hildegard. And Edith Stein. And all the other wisdom teachers who write on self-emptying. Many philosophers had great trouble understanding e.g. Kierkegaard's emphasis on "dying away." I guess it is because so few are also gardeners. It is easier to understand if one also works with soil and seeds.
Yeah, Almut, you’re touching on a profound point. The concept of “dying away” or self-emptying, as seen in the works of thinkers like Eckhart, Kierkegaard, Hildegard, and Edith Stein, is indeed a rich theme in Christian spirituality. Their insights often resonate more with those familiar with the rhythms of nature, like gardeners. I’m very much an amateur gardener, but I like to pay attention to what’s happening. Working with soil and roots, I see the cycle of life, death, and rebirth firsthand. This natural process has been a powerful metaphor for my own spiritual transformation and renewal. Thanks for reading and sharing. 🙌🏼
Glad I found your page. I like your design but the dark is a bit hard on my eyes. May be because I am night blind ?!
I did my dissertation on Kierkegaard who was not a gardener ;-) but he liked the metaphor of the seed a lot. And the Socratic midwifery idea. Only later I started reading Hildegard and was taken by her concept of viriditas (may be because we live currently in MN where greening is absent for a very long while...)
I am really interested in your book, so thank you for putting it up here. At first I thought your threefold way might refer to body, soul, spirit. Interesting how many threefold ways are needed for inward deepening. Peace and Blessings!
Thank you for your kind words and insights, especially your connection with Kierkegaard's metaphor of the seed and Hildegard's concept of viriditas. Your perspective adds a depth to the discussion of inward deepening. Looking forward to sharing more on this journey.
Wonderful! I believe the same principle is often present in prayer. I do not experience God's gift to me until I have emptied myself in speaking to Him. It is not until one is empty that they can receive a gift in its fullness. I do not "hear" God until first I have spoken. He is always first and yet also always second. This is also trinitarien--He is the one being spoken to, the one who is the object of love, and yet He also is the one praying in us. And lastly, He is the gift that the One we love extends to us after He has gotten through praying within us.
Hi JS ... Your thoughts on prayer and the process of emptying to receive God's fullness resonates with me. The idea that we must first speak to God, emptying ourselves, to truly "hear" Him is helpful. It reflects that paradoxical truth in our spiritual journey: the necessity of being both active and receptive in our relationship with God. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this, Jonathan. I immediately had to think about Meister Eckhart and also Kierkegaard. And Hildegard. And Edith Stein. And all the other wisdom teachers who write on self-emptying. Many philosophers had great trouble understanding e.g. Kierkegaard's emphasis on "dying away." I guess it is because so few are also gardeners. It is easier to understand if one also works with soil and seeds.
Yeah, Almut, you’re touching on a profound point. The concept of “dying away” or self-emptying, as seen in the works of thinkers like Eckhart, Kierkegaard, Hildegard, and Edith Stein, is indeed a rich theme in Christian spirituality. Their insights often resonate more with those familiar with the rhythms of nature, like gardeners. I’m very much an amateur gardener, but I like to pay attention to what’s happening. Working with soil and roots, I see the cycle of life, death, and rebirth firsthand. This natural process has been a powerful metaphor for my own spiritual transformation and renewal. Thanks for reading and sharing. 🙌🏼
Glad I found your page. I like your design but the dark is a bit hard on my eyes. May be because I am night blind ?!
I did my dissertation on Kierkegaard who was not a gardener ;-) but he liked the metaphor of the seed a lot. And the Socratic midwifery idea. Only later I started reading Hildegard and was taken by her concept of viriditas (may be because we live currently in MN where greening is absent for a very long while...)
I am really interested in your book, so thank you for putting it up here. At first I thought your threefold way might refer to body, soul, spirit. Interesting how many threefold ways are needed for inward deepening. Peace and Blessings!
Thank you for your kind words and insights, especially your connection with Kierkegaard's metaphor of the seed and Hildegard's concept of viriditas. Your perspective adds a depth to the discussion of inward deepening. Looking forward to sharing more on this journey.