Ken Jenkins wrote a song called "Benedictus". It's in his symphony The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. The first time I heard it on the radio I nearly crashed my car. I had to pull into a parking lot until it was finished--that's how strongly the music moved me.
Finding a song or experience like that is wonderful. It makes me believe there is far more to this life than we usually notice. Yet, with time the experience mellows and fades until one day you wonder why the song seemed so important.
Life moves, and we move within it. Our experiences are like glimmers of sunlight on a pond. New lights appear as old lights vanish. Some things endure, like gold and diamonds. Other things are brief and simpler, like tin and pebbles. And then there are experiences upon which our whole life pivots. These take on a power and a life that is not from us, but from beyond. I call them "Burning Bushes" because of the way they make me want to throw off my shoes before I go near them.
All of these experiences are given to us to help us in our journey. When we find them we love to cling to them, to remember, to re-live the feelings and emotions. But none of it is meant to be permanent. They are there to help us cross the boundary of the perishable world into the world of eternity. Yes, as imperfect as our world is, I believe we can experience some of the qualities and perfections of Heaven right here and now.
We must remember that all of life is sacred, everything is holy. Little things like buttering toast or tying our shoes can be potent Burning Bush moments because God is immanent, close, near-at-hand. God's breath, moving the branches of the trees. God's hand, covering us in our sleep. We don't need to be fearful or stressed. Even if our daily experiences are tin and pebbles, the Kingdom of Heaven is in them! We just need to learn how to see...
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