Little by little

This is a post I've worked on a long time. I tried to avoid being preachy, but this does contain some very strong views. I hope your faith is shaken.

"After you have practiced for a while, you will realize that it is not possible to make rapid, extraordinary progress. Even though you try very hard, the progress you make is always little by little. It is not like going out in a shower in which you know when you get wet. In a fog, you do not know you are getting wet, but as you keep walking you get wet little by little. If your mind has ideas of progress, you may say, ‘Oh, this pace is terrible!’ But actually, it is not. When you get wet in a fog it is very difficult to dry yourself. So there is no need to worry about progress. It is like studying a foreign language; you cannot do it all of a sudden, but by repeating it over and over you will master it."

- Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"

As a magic nut, I'm always on the lookout for good tips on how to practice better. A particular post in a magic blog this morning contained the above quote, taken apparently from some zen guy.

I have no idea who he is or what he does, but I think his analogy is quite accurate with regards to Christian living.

As Christians, this is what we have been taught: We as 'followers of the way' are to 'become like Christ'. I quote Gal 2:20 where St. Paul states that we are 'new creations'.

What most Christians seem to think, and indeed what I used to think, is that this is some sort of magical transformation - an event. Baptism of the holy spirit, fire and the whole lot. We imagine the power of God pouring down and cleansing us of the impurities in our soul. And after such a monumental experience we expect that our lives will be forever different. Holy. Set apart.

Unfortunately it doesn't quite happen that way, doesn't it? We live on the high for a brief period of time, then we tumble down like a house of cards.

We may even fall lower than we started out at.

Don't be discouraged. It is normal, and is essential to our growth as spiritual beings. Simply because the change in your life, that dramatic change, can only happen if you are willing to try at it every day. Granted, there are times when fire almost literally descends. When worship turns into unspeakable joy and silence into peace beyond comprehension. These are graces, and in moments like these, mountains are moved.

But the real work is in living day after day and even when your soul is in its darkest night, still desire to see the face of God.

I honestly hope that I will still desire to be a 'new creation' 70 years down the road, when my mind is lost and my strength has left. For that would mean that my faith was not based on experiences and feelings, but well and truly given by my creator.

That little by little, everyday, I am growing closer to God.