Hosea 6:6, “For I desire mercy (steadfast love*) and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
(King James Version) *(New Revised Standard Version)
“For I delight in loving-kindness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.” (Darby Bible Translation)
Every day, as I sit with clients, I hear the pain of self-hate that grows from judgmental, destructive beliefs and ideas. Collective religious attitudes that negate the in-dwelling spirit of God nurture shame that thwarts movement to embody our divine essence. Collective mechanisms of socialization in families, schools, and communities demonize innate instinctive longings. Inertia, self-recrimination, and inferiority hijack the life force whose design moves us to conscious oneness and love with ourselves, others, and God.
Hosea reminds us that God delights in loving-kindness—steadfast compassionate presence—and knowledge of God. As we begin Lent, I invite you (and me) to let Hosea’s words guide us. To do this, we’ll have to make many sacrifices.
We’ll have to give up judgment, hatred, denigration, exclusivity, self-righteousness, superiority, inferiority, arrogance, passivity, confusion, zealousness, fear, and a host of other attitudes and feelings that separate us from ourselves and others. We’ll have to interrupt the accompanying denial, self-recrimination, repression, and blaming (displacement onto others) of misdirected energy. As we cultivate steadfast love and know God, these behaviors are interrupted more naturally and quickly.
We can support ourselves by repeatedly, consciously setting sacred intention to practice loving-kindness and to seek God in all. This focus opens us to the seed of the Divine in our body-mind’s sensations, intuitions, feelings, thoughts, etc. We realize that every encounter within our body-mind and the outer world (of other people) is an interaction to know God.
A client once shared a story about going to a Buddhist meditation when depressed. The teacher shared that all of us reflect aspects of Shiva. My client said, “I’m depressed. How can that be Shiva?”
The teacher replied, “You are depressed Shiva.” The story is a simple reminder that “nothing separates us from the love of God.” God Within is present in all we experience. Lent invites us to sacrifice the attitudes that block us from knowing God in every aspect of living.
Loving-kindness opens our heart to see God Within in all we are, say, do, and encounter. Our willingness and ability to move beyond distorted, destructive ideas and volatile emotions increase with compassionate presence. Be courageous. Imagine a practice or discipline of cultivating loving-kindness and getting to know God in all encounters (with self, other people, and God). How might you do this? What actions will support you in this?
Inner Reflection
What is your sacred intention for Lent? How can it include cultivating loving-kindness and experiencing (knowing) God? Identify specifics of how to support yourself in this. The following may be helpful in establishing a practice:
Identify three actions (attitudes, thoughts, activities) you can take to develop compassion towards self and others. Write down the biggest obstacles (resentments, fears, past history). Identify three ways of supporting yourself in moving towards compassionate presence.
Affirm your sacred intention to cultivate loving kindness and experience knowing God daily by following through on your practice.