At First....
There is an old Zen proverb that says something like “at first the river is a river and the mountain is a mountain...then the river is no longer a river and the mountain is no longer a mountain...and then later the river is a river again and the mountain is a mountain again.”
There is an old Zen proverb that says something like “at first the river is a river and the mountain is a mountain...then the river is no longer a river and the mountain is no longer a mountain...and then later the river is a river again and the mountain is a mountain again.”
This is a pretty vague proverb and can be interpreted in as many ways as there are people looking to interpret it. I thought I would share my own......
As is expected of proverbs, this proverb has nothing to do with the actual, physical makeup of the proverbial landscape; it has everything to do with how we experience the proverbial landscape. Growing up we develop a way to see and navigate the world. Our way is shaped and molded by many things, but in the end it is our interpretation of all the input that makes us see what we see and feel what we feel. It makes sense to us and it works. Until it doesn’t.
In many conversations I’ve learned that we all, new and long-time Bible readers alike, have had the experience where we learn a Bible story or passage, or even just one verse, at some point, but then we read it again later and it means something totally different, or maybe it doesn’t even make any sense. We’re experiencing this passage in a new light.
At first the river is a river....
The whole river/mountain experience can be in any part of your life, but since we’re all a church people let’s look at a relevant example, shall we? How many times have we looked at The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-11, Luke 6:20-23). Even as children we think “oh yeah, I know...Blessed are those who blah blah blah for they will blah blah blah...”. We can look at the words and intellectually know what the words “poor” and “mourn” and “mercy” mean and it all makes sense. Until we are in them. Until they are in us.
Then the river is no longer a river....
You can find “those who are poor” all throughout the Bible, right? There’s Ruth and Naomi (you can find their incredible story in the book of Ruth) or the parable of the Widow’s Mite (Luke 21:1-4) to name a couple. Beyond the idea of poverty, the Gospel of Matthew quotes Jesus as saying “Blessed are the poor IN SPIRIT...” which can also be translated as “humble”. So, blessed are those who are humble. The Bible gives us many examples of these as well; some in stories as unfamiliar as that of Epaphroditus, who saw his own life as expendable for the sake of the Gospel (his story can be found in Phillipians, he’s Paul’s right-hand man!), or stories we all know almost word-for-word as in the most humble of beings EVER washing the feet of those who serve Him. From Naomi and Ruth to Jesus, none of them could look forward and KNOW that their lives would be changed so drastically, whether by tragedy or epiphany (Okay, fine, Jesus probably could have....). However much we try to relate or understand, we can’t begin to KNOW what it is to be poor until we have to prioritize for ourselves which bare necessity is most important for surviving to the next day. We can’t KNOW humility until we serve the unworthy as Christ served our unworthy world. And when we KNOW, nothing looks the same as it did before and everything we thought we knew no longer makes sense and often it’s a little scary. We have been given a new way of seeing and feeling an d experiencing. Our proverbial landscape has shifted.
And then later the river is a river again....
After a time of questioning and researching and generally relying on our faith for understanding this new landscape, things will once again come back into focus, we have a new normal. Anyone who has ever lost someone they loved, or moved far away from home knows exactly what this new normal feels like. More often than not, the refocus is so gradual that you don’t even realize when it happens. You don’t ever stop wishing your loved one could be by your side again, and you don’t stop missing that place you called home, at least that’s been my experience with both, but you do learn to live a life that is full of love and laughter. Things once again make sense, even with the longing.
We all are on a journey. Some of us are experiencing the river as a river and everything is right, it can be hard to understand why others are not seeing the river. For some of us, the river is no longer a river and we feel like we are lost or disconnected and we can’t understand how anyone can experience the river as a river in such a time as now. Wherever you are on your journey, you will be okay. You are loved. And you will be used by God to build His kingdom and to bring His glory.
In Christ's Work,
Ashlee
