Haggling with God.

Haggling is not my thing. That’s probably why I love Hafiz’s poem “Manic Screaming”.

Hafiz. Mystic.

Hafiz. Haggling Mystic?

We should make all spiritual talk
Simple today:
God is trying to sell you something,
But you don’t want to buy.
That is what your suffering is:
Your fantastic haggling
Your manic screaming over the price!

Rings true to me. The price of letting go of my understanding is sometimes too high a price for my linear, rational mind. The cost of letting go and letting God means sacrificing being in charge. If that’s to be, what did all the school and sports and discipline that were supposed to teach me how to be in control mean?

If you feel God is selling you something, the price may feel too high. Still, somehow I know there is no sense in trying to talk down the price.

Now, too, I know some people cannot take the image of God selling us anything, certainly not awareness, truth, faith. They can only see God giving it away. And at the same time, if they think it’s being offered for free, then they think it’s not worth much. I think of those I know—and in some cases I have been myself—who insist that anything free cannot be any good. Haggling in reverse. If I don’t have to pay a fair price for it, it cannot be worth much. Another form of Hafiz’s manic screaming, yes?

So how about this:

If you see God as selling you something, you can pay full price…in trust.

If you think God is offering it to you for free, you can receive it twice: for you and for God.

Fair Trade Spirit,
The lesson that your love costs nothing
but willingness
is beautiful to learn.
And hard.
The truth that you offer completely free
the joy and grace and peace which bless Oneness with you
is fantastic to realize.
And a struggle.
So, thank you for your never-ceasing help
that lets us know that loving you
is worth whatever effort we expend.
As well you let us know
that we create our struggle, we scatter our own rocks
in the path to loving you.
Thank you that we may know the effort is ours alone,
that you attach no price or sacrifice
by which we demonstrate our faith.
And so it is. Amen

Love and blessings,
Tim

 

29 November 2016

Posted on November 29, 2016 at 11:48 am by Tim · Permalink
In: Commitment, God, Grounded, Humility, Oneness, Peace, Prayer, Praying · Tagged with: , , , , , ,