“Lord, are those moments of union with God the goal or are they just nice accompaniments?”
Neither. You shouldn’t strive for moments of union per se, for peak experiences. That is self-indulgence, and a mistake of some who seek mystical experience. It is like orgasms—you should not seek them for their own sake. That is an abuse, a kind of idolatry. They happen naturally as the outcome and expression of love. But the experience of union is not just the accidental accompaniment of loving God. It is the essential expression. As a philosopher, you should be able to understand the difference.
Yes, I could see that loving God, by His very nature, invites a degree of union, much as human love does.
Jenny March 20, 2013
Dr. Martin, it amazes me sometimes, how similar our journeys are. In terms of union with God, He has taught me the same lessons; to let go, to fall into Him in love, in trust, despite the fear, to not hold onto the last experience, no matter how good it was, but to be present with Him in the now and to be my natural self.
I have found that the experience of union with God is naturally an intensely pleasurable one, but one that can’t be controlled or earned, in my experience. It’s something that one surrenders to, moment by moment.
I read something in Gerald G. May’s book, An Awakened Heart, which was of such value to me in my journey. The entire book is lovely, but this simple phrase has stuck with me:
“Let God be God; let the world and other people be who they are; let yourself be yourself.”
This has freed me to simply be with God, however He is revealing Himself to me- or not, as the case may be, and however I am, in that moment. It is a natural and peaceful flow of relationship, when I am able to rest in that understanding, which I am increasingly able to do.
Jerry L Martin March 21, 2013
Jenny, you are drawing wonderful wisdom from your life with God. I hope readers will pause over each line, each phrase, because there about a dozen spiritual lessons in this brief post. To pick out just one part of May’s quote, “Let God be God …” It is easy to think God has to be such-and-such a way (and maybe He is failing) and that we are supposed to be thus-and-so (and we are failing) and that we and God are supposed to be in some special rapture all the time (and we’re not). Instead, as you say, we should just be with God, whenever and however God is or is not available, and let us be us and God be God. Please continue to share your thoughts and experiences with us.