You're a What?

I have shared with a few people that I am a Christian Mystic.   My definition is short and sweet on this.  I am passionate about the unseen world of God.  I am passionate about experiencing the presence of God in myself and others.  Experiential learning is more important to me for my faith than theological or biblical learning.

When I shared with one person,  he said, "How can you even put Christianity and Mysticism in the same sentence!"  "Mysticism is not Christianity!"  He went on to explain how mysticism just doesn't have a place in "real" Christianity; and that he would pray "for" me for illumination.   This basically meant that he would pray that I see the error of my ways and turn toward his beliefs.

I would really like to address both of these kinds of responses to Christian Mysticism.  Both fail to understand the perspective, and the deep passion and faith that Christian Mystics have.

Before I get into that though, let me make one thing clear.  Being a Christian Mystic doesn't mean that I am holier than anybody.  In fact, it is a life of searching, of questions, of changes.  There is no point at which I can plant my feet and say, "This is the breath and width and height of my belief!"  For as many manifestations of God and God's influence there are in this world, both the seen and unseen, are as many ways that any believer, whether Christian Mystic or not, may walk his or her path.  I am only more or less holy than I was yesterday.

The Religious Right and Christian Mysticism
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The Religous Right, loosly, are those people who empasize more traditional moral and theological perspectives on the person, mission, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The values that are applauded are good works, faith in the Word of God, the supremacy of the church as a moral entitiy, the Supremacy of Christ, the traditional family as a unit of faith and of the church, and so on.  

For the purposes of this discussion, the Religious Right are those that are not yet comfortable with experiences being on the same level as the Word of God or the Church as a point of authority.  

For me, my whole faith experience has been just that, experiential.  There is a place for the Word of God, for the Church, for a community of believers.  They are not the end all be all of my faith though.  It is through the dark times of the soul, the overflowing mountain-top experiences and everything in between, that have shaped my relationship with God and God's creation.

I am getting a little passionate about this, because to me, there is a great injustice done when someone says, "but that experience wasn't from God!"   Basically, they are telling me that my experience is not "right," "sound," "good," or "faithful."   It is a slap in the face.   At least, that is what it feels like.

Part of the reason I now call myself a Christian Mystic is that I love hearing about all the experiences of people.  I see how God has been a part of their lives.  All moments of discovery have that intertwined within.  I would sooner rip pages out of one of Shakespeare's plays than to judge someone's experience of God and therefore not include it or give it worth as part of their life story, of the unfolding of God in their book of life.

Yes, I understand that not judging people also means that I failed at this a little when I got upset at my friend's opinion on my declaration of Christian Mysticism.  I am working on it.   Truly.   I also love hearing about his experiences with God.  They are as valid as any other, and as valuable.

Let me post some good words from the known Christian Mystic and Teacher, LM Richardson.

Jesus said this about what the nature of the spiritual process would be after he had left this world:

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26 (New International Version)

The apostle Paul said this: But as it is written, ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.’ But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1 Cor. 2:6-10)

LM Richardson does a much better job than I at what the process and journey of a Christian Mystic entails: 

The Holy Spirit does not require that we believe in just the right way for it to reveal its truths or that any of us understand the end before it takes us to the end. As Christians, all that is necessary is that we open our hearts each day so that the Holy Spirit can take us to the deep things of God culminating in the direct experience of the soul’s true nature in God, what the bible calls born again and the earliest Christians called to state of perfection.