“When you reach for the stars, you are reaching for the farthest thing out there. When you reach deep into yourself, it is the same thing, but in the opposite direction. If you reach in both directions, you will have spanned the universe.” Vera Nazarian
We are all of us on a journey- the trip takes us from birth to death and beyond. It’s important that we focus on the journey itself and not the end or destination. The trip itself is the important thing.
Today is Epiphany- the celebration of the Magi or Three Wise Men and their journey to Bethlehem. But our journey and theirs is similar in so many ways, and has much to say about our own journeys.
There’s a Long, Long Road Awinding…
The Magi’s trip was a long one, most likely originating in Persia- today’s Iran- say scholars. The point is, it took a long time for them to arrive at their destination. On such a journey there were uncounted number of stops, and rests, and, according to the story, a major detour into Jerusalem, before their destination was reached.
So what about our own spiritual journeys?
The trip into the deepest part of ourselves and that inner self’s relationship to the Divine is a life-long journey. You don’t decide to just be spiritual, and bippidy, boppity, boo- there you are all spiritually developed.
“The only journey is the one within.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke
Maybe the commitment is what many folk can’t handle and remain satisfied with a surface-life, lacking any depth or profoundness.
The Magi set out without any definitive proof of what they were seeking. Neither did they have any clue as to their ultimate destination. They trusted in the Divine Light and followed it.
I’m sure they must have wondered if they were on the right path at times. How could they not have? Such a trip is tiring and needs oases of rest and down-time.
Perhaps they also wondered at the rightness of this trip, as I’m sure so many of their own family and friends questioned their wisdom and decision.
Think it’s easy to buck the crowd and do the unexpected, not easily understood action?
You know it’s not easy.
Those close to you fear any change which puts you outside of their own experience, and thus creates distance. They will use all matter of methods to throw you off your path- be it dieting, job choice, choice of a life partner, or your spiritual growth…derision. belittling, sabotaging, harsh words, demands, and generally trying to make your determination weaken.
It takes inner strength to stay focused and on track!
The Magi set the example for us of never quitting and continuing despite all the rough patches.
It Cost a Pretty Penny-
The cost of a thing is the amount
of what I will call life
which is required to be exchanged for it,
immediately or in the long run.
– Henry David Thoreau
The cost of the Magi’s trip was extensive! We’re not talking three Wise Men crossing all that distance alone, like on some Christmas card.
The caravan for such a trip would have been huge, with all manner of camels, drivers, and accompanying people, all of which needed to be paid, fed and sheltered for the duration of the trip to and from.
Include in that the cost of the extravagant gifts they brought.
It probably cost them everything they had!
Is there a cost to any kind of spiritual journey? Yes, of course. Anything worthwhile has a cost to it, and frequently it’s not a financial cost.
TIME– This is no overnight journey. Once on it, you continue to grow until this life ends. There are times of respite, and plateaus, of “time-outs” and enough already! But it is a process, and, in essence, a forward movement.
“It might take time, that needs patience and in the end, all the hard work is worthwhile, but just keep in mind your goals and purposes, and then use self-discipline as an invaluable tool to get to where you are going.” Oscar Auliq-Ice
A spiritual journey is one of growth and changing understandings. It is a passage from where you are now, to where you eventually go in life.
“To embark on the journey towards your goals and dreams requires bravery. To remain on that path requires courage. The bridge that merges the two is commitment.” ― Steve Maraboli
FINANCIAL- There is no explicit money expense required. However, as your inner self develops, your awareness of others’ needs and concerns grow, and with it, your desire to somehow help.
Our compassion is the fruit of our spiritual lives; it actually arises spontaneously when formed by intention in our spiritual practice. Love and compassion are always the goods of the spiritual journey, and they are guided by divine wisdom, which then shapes compassion in the concrete situations of our existence.Wayne Teasdale
Ultimately, it wasn’t the costly gifts of the Magi that were the true gifts, as expensive as they were.
The gift was the determined journey and the belief that they would find what they sought. Essentially, their greatest gift was themselves.
The Perils of the Journey
For the Magi, the dangers of the road, at that time, were very real. Caravans were often waylaid by bandits and thieves. But there was safety in numbers, which is why the caravan would have been large.
The roads, what ones there were, were often rocky and treacherous.
And they were traveling through foreign countries which might not receive their passage favorably. Yet the dangers did not deter them in their commitment to the journey.
Are there perils on a spiritual journey? Certainly. All journeys involve some risk.
In some countries, spiritual development is punishable, and forces the traveler into secret and underground development.
For others, the thought of discovering new truths from what was always held to be Biblical fact, is scary enough to resist any change whatsoever.
You cannot dig deep spiritually without also addressing your deepest self, and many find that too troublesome to even try.
We cling to the familiar, whether it is our surroundings, beliefs, comfort zones, or community and friends we know.
We may not run into road bandits, but there are so many things in our world that can deter any commitment to the journey; fear of being rejected as a “religious freak”, fear of change and unknown outcomes, fear of having your whole belief system crash around you.
The More, the Merrier-
There is a reason for a large caravan- there is safety in numbers.
The lesson for us is that it is very easy for a lone spiritual traveler to get “lost”. There is no one with whom to commune, to check out ideas and thoughts, to test new understandings, to realize that others are on the same journey.
Churches synagogues, and mosques are where people of like beliefs gather to support each other.
Or perhaps a study group or Bible study could be a support group. I have facilitated a spiritual growth group for over thirty year- and some members have been there for almost the whole time.
If you are trying to grow spiritually on your own, you need to search for some like-minded folk and create a community. Being in limbo by yourself is no fun!
Work in Progress
Just because those Magi were wealthy, don’t think that the trip didn’t require hard work on everyone’s part.
Ever ride a camel? I have, several times. One year on a camel is the stuff of nightmares!
These were learned, rich men used to comforts of the day. Spending a year on the road would have been exhausting for everyone.
The spiritual journey is not a hopping on a jet plane, napping through the trip, and then exiting at your destination.
Nope! Uh uh. Not even close!
This journey involves work, just as any other great adventure does! Nothing worth having ever comes easily.
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” Beverly Sills
Any kind of commitment involves work.
In the spiritual journey, we continue to ask questions. We read whatever we can to move our understanding along. We develop some sort of discipline- whether it is prayer, religious readings, meditation, attending religious services, or some daily practice that turns your mind to the Divine.
And gradually, the insights will come!
God is not a hypothesis derived from logical assumptions, but an immediate insight, self-evident as light. He is not something to be sought in the darkness with the light of reason. He is the light. Abraham Joshua Heschel
The spiritual journey involves going beyond hope and fear, stepping into unknown territory, continually moving forward. The most important aspect of being on the spiritual path may be just to keep moving.Pema Chodron
Call to Action
In this new year, choose at least one course of action that will give incentive to your spiritual life.
Here are several links that might help.
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster
Life Hacking Spiritual Disciplines: How to Find God in a Noisy World by Joe Fontenot
Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life by Marjorie J. Thompson
Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren
