Spiritual direction: Life is connected but not...

... a conspiracy. Life is connected in a way that only God, ultimately, understands. The best way that I can put it into words is to point out that inspiration exists throughout all people and through space and time. I use the word inspiration because it conveys a light touch of connectivity that can bring both a thrill and a shiver, since it is a reminder that all is not reduced to literal speech or action alone. It is how the Holy Spirit works throughout all people, but it is also an innate ability of talent of people. Inspiration is not just talent (as in the "I felt inspired to write this poem" sense) but it is also whiff of insight and information that comes from the metaphysical connection that exists among all living things.

Humans have become very odd about inspiration. They wildly fling about conspiracy theories when sometimes there is simply one of those shivering moments of the connectivity of life, or they go whole hog crazy about inspiration, seeking to enslave it as fortune telling and manipulation of events. That too will and does bring disaster. The Bible is, as always, the sane and correct place to study what the wise ones have written about spirit, the source of inspiration, and know that as the Bible is divinely inspired it is correct and reliable.

Today we see a remarkable example of inspiration. I decided to write about it so that you can learn how to discern a logical and sensible reaction, just as the great Prophets and wise ones of the Bible would have responded, instead of like half crazed witches like so many seem to pose.

The late Pope John Paul I, who was Pope only 33 days before dying of a heart attack, wrote a series of interesting "letters" to famous people, including Jesus. You can read it here:

http://www.papaluciani.com/eng/teachings/letters/illustrious/gesu2.htm

It is beautiful and thoughtful. Notice this snip:

On the other hand, we have the Gospel. As lighting surpasses any fire, and radius all the other metals; as a missile surpasses in speed the wild poor man' s arrow, so the Gospel surpasses all the books.

Now, the reason I was reading this particular letter this morning is because the late Pope's brother died the day before yesterday, March 10. I would include the link but there are just brief notices in Italian. The brother was much loved and was recently greeted in person by Pope Benedict XVI at the Angelus. So while doing some Italian article searches about his brother, Eduoardo Luciani, I was reminded of these letters written by JP I and I decided to read the ones to Jesus and to King David. But as soon as I read the one to Jesus, I noted that quote I listed above where he compares the Gospel to "in speed the wild poor man's arrow."

Well, one of my routine daily newspaper reads is the LA Times. And only today I read that a poor possibly homeless older man has been found murdered, by arrow through his chest. Here are the links:

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8532631?source=most_viewed

and

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-arrow12mar12,0,1721183.story

snip

A Lancaster man was found dead early Tuesday morning on a city street with an arrow piercing his chest, authorities said.

Passersby spotted the body of Angel Martinez, 62, about 1:45 a.m. and called for help, telling Los Angeles County sheriff's officials they believed a pedestrian had been struck by a car.

Authorities who went to the scene at East 13th Street and East Avenue K in Lancaster instead found the man dead with an arrow in his chest, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Maribel Rizo. There was no evidence of a traffic collision, Rizo added. Authorities had said they believed the dead man was a transient, but later they said he had a residence in Lancaster. Martinez's death is being investigated as a homicide, said Deputy Oscar Butao.

***
Now ponder, without paranoia, this example of inspiration, by which I mean a spiritual connection of events. Pope John Paul I wrote a beautiful literary "letter to Jesus" that compares the Gospel to a poor man's arrow, and on the day that his brother (a retired teacher, not a religious) dies many years later, a possibly poor and possibly homeless man named Angel is murdered by arrow in the chest.

None of these events "caused" each other. There's no need to run around screaming "bad karma," or "conspiracy" or "were they reincarnated in so called past lives?" That is the idiot gnostic intoxicated reaction that has become so popular in the past few decades as humans have lost their way. The world is a combination of two things: flat reality and marvelous mystery. Things can simply happen, unconnected and not of mutual cause, yet have a glittering mysterious inspirational connection that reminds everyone that there is a marvel of inter connectivity throughout life and time that one can only, and should only, say "Hmm...." This is how the great authors of the Bible, and yes Jesus himself, would have reacted. This type of remarkable synchronicity, as Jung would call it, would not have surprised or alarmed them. It certainly would not have caused conspiracy theory or enhance poseur would-be sorcerers' manipulative ambitions. People used to be more comfortable with simply marveling at the world when it is the most obviously beautiful in day to day life, and when it is most mysteriously inspired when an unexpected complexity that is hidden suddenly presents itself.

So I thought that this would be an interesting "case study" for some spiritual direction, and also serve as part of my continuing effort to detox people from their self aggrandizing and paranoid "magical thinking." There is nothing to "do" with such events and knowledge except to ponder the mystery of life and thoughtful nod while saying, "Hmmmm......." Remember that the Pope John Paul I wrote that the Gospel is greater than the poor man's arrow, so even when such a sadness occurs one can be reminded that there is a powerful greatness and goodness that always "wins."

I hope this helps.