Pilgrim Heart: Emptying

Soren Kierkegaard said, “Everything which God is to use, he first reduces to nothing.”

In ch. 3 of Darryl Tippens book, PILGRIM HEART, he speaks of the term “Kenosis.” Tippens writes:

“The spiritual act of pouring out oneself, of “emptying” the self of its prerogatives, is sometimes called kenosis, from the Greek New Testament word “kenoo” found in Philippians 2:7 where Paul writes that Christ “emptied himself,” “poured himself out” or “he made himself nothing.” While kenosis has many nuances, at its core is the idea of relinquishment of authority, power, or prerogative. Jesus stands as the supreme example of this generous act of humility. Paul uses Jesus’ act of becoming a human being and living a simple life of service to others as a supreme and eternal pattern for every pilgrim heart.”

This was a good chapter for me to read today (as a glimmer of light begins to emerge). And one thing that many people do not understand about depressed people like me is – the last thing we want is pity. Depression of my kind is not necessarily bad. Tippens points out that “…one of the greatest of spiritual paradoxes is the strength to be found in weakness and the power found in submission.”

These are the main quotes from ch. 3:

On p. 45 he quotes Simone Weil who said, "There is an easiness in salvation which is more difficult to us than all our efforts.” Wow! Now there’s a thought. It is so hard for us to ‘rest in God’ or ‘be still’ when we think we can manage life on our own.

p.48 “Facing and accepting the losses that come with time – diminished physical and mental capacities as we age, lost career opportunities, waning vigor, and broken relationships – are, paradoxically, the way to freedom. They are also the way to Christlikeness.” GOOD

Henri Nouwen: “What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love.”

p. 49 “Humbling oneself, forgiving others, renouncing one’s own inflated certainty (abandoning the fatal need to be right about everything), sharing our material goods, receiving criticism in humility, saying “I’m sorry,” resisting our need to be first, renouncing our “rights,” our entitlements, and our prerogatives – we must practice such daily “deaths” of the self over and over again if we are to develop our pilgrim hearts.”

“The most we can do is quiet our own wills, so that his will can be effective within us. Finally, we rest, knowing it is God’s creative energy that leads the pilgrim heart towards God: ‘For we are what he made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life (Eph. 2:10).”

Finally, p. 50: “Jesus teaches how kenosis is to work. He is meek and lowly, the humble servant to the weak, the needy, and the outcast. He also confronted evil bravely. He taught us to be wise as serpents, as well as harmless as doves.” (He precedes this with the comment: “One can be meek and gentle, like Jesus, ‘[doing] nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard[ing] others as better than yourselves,’ (Philippians 2:3), without abandoning one’s values, and without yielding to “enmeshment” or coercive power brokers.” Then… “Humility before others is essential, but it doesn’t follow that we yield ourselves automatically to those who are abusive and who have evil intentions.”

Ah, yes... the great paradox of the life of faith. Just because things look bad, doesn't mean they are. Just because all seems well, doesn't mean it is. We need God. Jesus showed us that time and again. Life is our teacher still.

Blessings, friends. Peace.