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Yesterday, I wrote a blog about seeking God and asked my readers to consider how they encounter and experience God in their lives (http://www.semissourian.com/blogs/farwell/). IÂ do not believe it is an accident that I Â found an answer to the question of how we encounter God while reading Chittister (2010, The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century) Â this afternoon. Â I discovered that over 1500 years ago Benedict of Nursia addressed this question. Chittister relates (p. 80) Â : “God, Benedict says quite clearly, is within us to be realized, not outside of us to be stumbled upon.”
In addition, Chittister describes the following discussion between a “seeker” and a “teacher” to illustrate this ( p. 81):
“‘How does a person seek union with God?’ the seeker asked.
‘The harder you seek,’ the teacher said, ‘the more distance you create between God and you.’
‘So what does one do about the distance?’
‘Understand that it isn’t there,’ the teacher said.
‘Does that mean that God and I are one?’ the seeker said.
‘Not one. Not two.’
‘How is that possible? ‘ the seeker asked
‘The sun and its light, the ocean and the wave, the singer and the song. Not one. Not two.’ ”
For some reason, I felt a great sense of relief in reading and realizing the wisdom portrayed in this discussion between student and teacher. I never realized before that God and I together are as natural as “sun and light” or “sea and wave”—-or that we cannot be one or two . Â I know from systems theory that the whole is greater and different than the sum of its parts. I had just never looked at God before in terms of systems theory….except perhaps in considering the trinity.
I know my power comes from God. What I need to realize and accept is that God and that power are naturally part of me….that I don’t have to do anything to encounter or experience God. I just need to realize God is naturally within me so that I will stop searching all over the universe trying to find him.  If I accept that God is naturally within me, it follows that God is naturally within any human being.
I need to carry things a step further and “listen to the words, directions, and insights of the one who is a voice of Christ for me now.” (p.85). In other words, I need to pay attention to and respect the words and opinions of others and not be impatient when they are not similar to mine—-the “God” in them may be trying to tell me something important.  I should have been a bit more patient and respectful of others in my Adult Formation class this morning  at church. I was in a critical frame of mind, and I felt like most of the class had been wasted on a discussion of the meanings of words over the centuries rather than what those words mean to us in our own lives. That is where I missed the boat, in my critical frame of mind I did not really listen, and I may have missed something important God wanted me to know.
This may sound so far “out of the box” to some of you that you’ve already dismissed what I am saying as “nonsense.”  However,  I recognize 12 step principles in what Chittister is saying about “Benedict’s Rule.” If I admit that I am powerless by myself, realize that God/Higher Power can restore me to sanity, and turn my will and my life over to the God of my understanding, my whole life, existence, and reasons for living are changed.
The biggest difference between the 12 step approach and what Benedict said is that the God I turn things over to is already within myself just waiting for me to realize He’s there—-and that I, therefore, need to treat every human being with the respect I afford God. The question then becomes not “What would Jesus do?” but “What would Jesus within me do?”
Pretty heavy duty stuff. Â Please feel free to comment. Thanks for letting me ramble on about it. Hope you are having a beautiful Sunday. May God bless and keep you.
Living One Day at a Time 
Kathy, As always I enjoyed reading your thoughts. I found Father Al’s question very pertinent–“Do we not like this author?” It does feel as though we have been very critical of her which has left me feeling somewhat adrift. I understand the point she has sometimes made “critical” changes in the way she has presented St. Benedict’s words; however, I don’t want to get bogged down in semantics. Like you, I find the concept God is in me a new perspective to ponder. Similarly, Father Al’s explanation that “fear The Lord” means be in awe of God. I’m here to tell you when MO Synod Lutherans (my previous church affiliation) said “fear The Lord” they meant shaking in your boots, fire and brimstone fear!! I am really enjoying Benedict and the new insights his Rule has given me. I did not feel you we’re inpatient or not listening to others this morning. God’s peace, Brenda
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Brenda: Thank you so much for your kind words. I am glad to know I didn’t show how impatient I was feeling. I loved what Father Al said about fear….its helps the old testament make more sense to me and reconciles me to accepting the “old testament” God a bit more than I have previously been able to. I wanted us to spend the whole time talking about “God within” and “fear” as in “awe”—-things I can use in my day to day living. I think we could say the author made changes to the original text for a multitude of reasons, accept it, and move on. I was not impatient with anything you said—–you are the one person in the group I identify with the most. I am very glad you are there! Kathy p.s. Debbie is not getting anything out of this class, so we may not come to adult formation until after this book discussion is finished. I have to admit I am getting more out of reading the book than listening to a discussion of the changes from a 1500 year ago text and one written in this decade. However, as I have pointed out more than once, I need to get over myself!
Addiction is a progressive disease; recovery is a progressive solution.
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My religion and my spirituality are in conflict when I read your blog today. I have a view of duality -good and bad, right and wrong and now I want to believe God is within me. How do I reconcile these two views? I know my meditation takes me there to that place where I meet God. Am I meeting God outside or inside? God is meeting me outside and waiting to be invited in? Or is He already here and I finally have turned around and seen Him and He has been here all the time. Or does He appear when I open my mind and leave when I close it? Which I often do. Is it like when I turn on the lights and can see everything in the room and then I turn off the lights and can see nothing? thank you for your insight. Now I pray for my insight of your insight.:D
Wow, this triggered some deep thinking for you….and we all have to find our own answers. I really resonate with your analogy about
turning a light on and off…..thank you!