"Leave space for God to walk
through the room." ~ Quincy Jones
I am currently writing a dissertation to complete the
requirements for a PhD. It’s been a long but rewarding journey. However, when
initially looking at where and what I wanted to focus my doctoral studies, I
knew it had to be a low-residency program that didn’t require me to leave my
children, who were still very small then.
So, in my search I ran upon some great schools (like Fordham and Penn)
who extended the needed flexibility but only offered programs in subjects such
as organizational leadership, which at the time didn’t appeal to me at all (in
fact I thought earning a PhD in Organizational Leadership would be as
intellectually engaging as watching paint dry). Then, upon the suggestion of a
friend who did his doctoral studies at Yale, I looked into Union Institute and University. I was sold on their program values, which included social justice
and engaging difference, but it would only be later that I realized the
tremendous value that a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (with a particular
concentration is Public Policy and Social Change) would offer me (Note: I have
even gone on to teach interdisciplinary theory and research at the University
of Texas at Arlington).
Interdisciplinarity calls for an integration of ideas
(specifically disciplinary insights), recognizing that real world problems
require real world solutions, which are seldom found within one narrow
discipline or perspective. Now, I hope I haven’t lost you with the geeky details
of interdisciplinary theory, but I offer this to highlight the power and beauty
found in stretching our minds and perspectives to consider something new or to
include additional perspectives, viewpoints, or ways of knowing.
Holistic learning and
living, I believe, is fundamental to spirituality. When we stretch
ourselves in new ways we began to understand that duality has bamboozled us
into right-wrong, either-or arguments that leave no room for new ideas,
innovation or creativity. While I have previously written about duality (Post
#3), and the lie it tells, I want to reiterate the beauty of integrative
thinking and being. All of this world and
every inch of knowledge it contains is sacred. Likewise, all of us is given to “us” to learn and be and
thrive in the world. Unfortunately, many aspects of Modernism call us away from
any manner of knowing that isn’t deeply steeped in mental logic and sensory
data. If we can’t physically see, hear, touch, smell or taste it….then it
simply doesn’t or can’t exist. However, I beg to differ. Most of reality, that
is, most of what is “real”, cannot not be completely understood with the five
senses. In fact, I’d like to suggest to
you that we have an inner knowing, an ability to know without the limitations
of sensory data.
Deep in our souls we know who we are and of the incredible
power we are connected. We just need to be
reminded of it. So, for the next few posts I’d like to discuss what I like
to call multi-dimensional or multi-sensory knowing (what others have called
multisensory perception). For, indeed, we have the ability to transcend the
restrictive nature of our physical selves and live more fully out of our souls
or spiritual selves.
I Thessalonians 5:23, from the traditional King James
Version of the Bible, states:
And the very God of peace sanctify you
wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved
blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This same scripture, from The
Message Translation, says, “May
God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and
whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body.” Yes! Do you see the truth of
this text? Holy equals whole. Here,
the text says that we are one-third “soul,” which comes from the Greek word
meaning psyche or mind but is often translated as “soul.” Therefore when the
text reads spirit, soul, and body, it is understood as spirit, MIND, and body
(though in contemporary language we often use soul and spirit interchangeably
to mean the unseen transcendent part or essence of us). Meaning, if we are only
using our minds, we are incomplete and unholy
(and let’s not forget the religious folks who never seem to use their minds but want to reside in the ether of
mysticism and spooky spirituality. They too are incomplete and unholy).
My point? We are
holy, sacred, and living in our divinity when we integrate all parts of
ourselves. Our wholeness brings forth a knowing that can’t be achieved by only
using the rational, logical, sense data of the body and mind. While both the mind and body are of
grave importance, it is incomplete without the transcendent knowing of the
spirit (or soul in contemporary vernacular).
More on this
tomorrow, but I challenge you to leave this blog asking if you are complete. Are you wholly all you have been
created to be? Are you in touch with your “spirit” and are you tapping into
your own multi-dimensional knowing that transcends the physical? Please don’t
read these questions as posed to someone else. They are directed at you and are
meant to be taken literally.
There is a world of
wonder and beauty that can’t be fully imagined with the eye of the mind alone,
but rather must be accessed through the gateway of our soul. In the words of the creative genius and
music legend Quincy Jones, “Leave room for God to walk through the room.” These
are his words of wisdom in regards to creativity and music production but I
think they make a good mantra for life as well. Don’t get so absorbed in your
body, mind, or soul, but live fully and wholly….and holy, leaving room for God to walk through the room or space of
your life. For when God walks through the room, you’ll certainly be reminded…..
This is not the end of your story. Your best days are not
behind you, they are ahead of you. Don’t get stuck in your head, but live life
fully and completely, for when you “know” multi-dimensionally you’ll see you have
#bigthingscoming!
Holy and Wholly!
~Ray
NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read
my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments
here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash
tag #bigthingscoming.
(Copyright,
2013, Ray Jordan)
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