Eckhart has a genuine ability to simple take a half step to the side and then offer a totally new perspective on a familiar theme. For my entire life God has been presented as being all about love and goodness. These are characteristics which certainly describe. Indeed, Eckhart himself the best way for us to know God is through his love for us. His love, however is not passive. It is active, ongoing and ever present in how lives yet Eckhart says our best name for him is compassion.
Curious. As I sit and dwell on how his love has been bestowed on me the most apt to description is that he embraces us and he does so with compassion. We are in a world where freedom of choice can bring us good things and bad, pleasure and pain, happiness or sadness and love, sorrow and grief. He celebrates our happiness and our good times with us be we have to struggle to share those times with him because we tend to be caught up in the moment. He loves to go with us wherever we go, in my case, fishing, hunting, hiking, church, work and countless other places. He is there at those time but he is closest to us when we are in a state of loss. That is when his goodness shines through. He brings to us compassion regardless of our needs. He can't promise us sunny days or good health but he can promise us he can be there for when we need him.
I find it interesting he did not use friendship as a name for God. To me it seems more encompassing of the all aspects of human life. He is with us always and is with us a friend with him we can share the exigencies of life. Compassion is but one of the gifts he offers us through his friendship with us. Perhaps compassion is the most important aspect of our relationship with him because we need his encouragement, support and kindness to get up and get moving again in the face of adversity.
I don't intent to disagree with Eckhart, only to question how what he says fits for me or if I need another cloak to describe my relationship with him.
No comments:
Post a Comment