Visible and Invisible

Hello everyone –

I hope you are enjoying the summer so far. It has been some time since I last posted anything, but I have not been idle. I have been working on a book and just finished the first draft.

The book is titled Experiencing Grace: On Pilgrimage with a Mildly Autistic Mystic. It is a hybrid book, part spiritual autobiography and part guided meditation. I’m not sure what will become of it when it’s finished.

In addition to writing, writing, writing, Jody and I were able to take a trip to Ireland. All the things you have ever heard about it – how green it is, the friendliness of the people, etc. – are true. It is a wonderful country and I encourage you to visit if you have the opportunity.

There is an incredible sense of history and spirituality in Ireland that seems to be lacking here. When buildings reach a certain age in the United States, we tear them down. That is not the case in Ireland and perhaps that is what gives it such a strong sense of place. History lives side by side with the present. Maybe that also adds to the sense of spirituality. We had the opportunity to visit a number of churches and abbeys that were hundreds of years old and often built on the site of much older communities.

One place in particular that spoke to me was Jerpoint Abbey. A ruin now, it was once a thriving community known for its carvings (many of which can still be seen). When you are there it is not hard to imagine monks and lay brothers at work and worship. You can almost feel them. It reminds me of what the writer of Hebrews said about those who came before –

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12

In my church tradition we don’t speak very much about the saints who came before us, that cloud of witness who now surround us. I think that is a mistake because their examples can provide us with so much strength and support. It is a little easier to run life’s race when you know others have done so successfully and are now cheering you on.

I believe that there is a spiritual dimension, just as there is a material dimension. I am also a creedal Christian. In the Nicene Creed we confess

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

“All things visible and invisible.” The more I meditate on my faith, the more I value the “invisible.” The “invisible” is beyond our grasp, beyond our understanding, beyond our co-opting. Maybe that’s why we don’t talk about the “invisible” very much, because we can’t explain it or use it for our own gain.

The Irish, to my understanding, just seem to take it for granted that there is an invisible realm and have crafted all kinds of myths and tales to explore it. It might not hurt if we did some exploring ourselves. Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean that it isn’t real.

Grace and peace.