withered into nothingness
as quoted from Brennan Manning's "The Rabbi's Heartbeat" p98
May all your expectations be frustrated, may all your plans be thwarted, may all your desires be withered into nothingness, that you may experience the powerlessness and poverty of a child and sing and dance in the love of God who is Father, Son and Spirit.
Larry Hein
May all your expectations be frustrated, may all your plans be thwarted, may all your desires be withered into nothingness, that you may experience the powerlessness and poverty of a child and sing and dance in the love of God who is Father, Son and Spirit.
Larry Hein
posted by Vern Hyndman at 1:05 AM
2 Comments:
This guy, Manning, writes challenging verse. Sometimes. This one ticks me off a little. Disappointed that he is leaves me feeling that unless I am aimless and unguided as a child, I have missed God's best. I am experiencing touches of nothingness and being divested of my power. I would argue, however, that I would dance much better in God's love if I were not in poverty but in the wealth of recognizing the Holy source of my hope.
Actually, this is a quote that Manning uses from his spiritual guide, Larry Hein.
I have noticed that much of my sense of adulthood, power, plans, expectations, tend to prop up my illusion of self sufficiency... I tend to think that events or circumstances that frustrate my plans must therefore be not of God. I don't think that Hein is preaching poverty theology necessarily... he didn't add FOREVER. I think he wishes these things at least for a season for each of us.
Hein is really illustrating that we all are powerless, it's just that some of us have a delusion of power, which we all should be stripped of.
At the time that I was experiencing the most financial wealth in my life, I experienced what Hein is talking about... my daughter became chronically ill with a life threatening disorder... and I experienced true helplessness, and learned to relax in the arms of Abba.
Your post seems to belie the fact that you have already separated out the false human support of material wealth and organization and that you recognize the wealth of the Spirit. I really like the way you phrase that...
"I would dance much better in God's love if I were not in poverty but in the wealth of recognizing the Holy source of my hope."
I don't believe that Hein is suggesting for an instant that the power you're talking about should be diminished.
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