“And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” John 17:11
Sometimes, I feel this disconnect in my heart, mind and body. I don’t know how to describe it, but I definitely know that everything feels off. When it happens, I can’t concentrate. A negative inner monologue starts chattering away. I would call the experience a disembodiment from whom God has called me to be.
When disembodiment happens, it usually means that I need to BREATHE and BE in my body in the present where I am at. I need to not be thinking ahead 20 minutes, 20 days or 20 years ahead. For that matter, I need to NOT be thinking 20 minutes, 20 days or 20 years ago.
Don’t get me wrong. Planning and reflecting can be helpful. But so is being present. It’s not easy to listen to the needs of the other if my mind is somewhere else. It’s not easy to focus on my work if I’m always thinking on to the next best thing. It’s not easy to pray in a way that is open to listening to the Spirit’s whispers if I pray expecting the solutions that are already in my head.
Sometimes, I think about Jesus saying that He is no longer being in the world, but we are. And somehow, we are supposed to be one with God. How do we do that?
A question that I invite you to consider is this: “Is there such thing as a disembodied gospel?”
This week, I am participating in an intense, 3-day NOVA (National Organization for Victims Assistance) training, so that when a community crisis occurs, I will be called upon to participate on a Critical Response Team. It’s going to be challenging because I’m going to need to be present to learn. I would imagine, I will learn how to be present in a situation and respond appropriately.
For what are you needing to be fully present, in your body, for the work God has for you this week? Is it for healing? Is it for the sake of your family? Is it to focus on important tasks at work? Is it for the sake of your mental health?
How might we as a congregation embrace a full embodiment of the good news of God’s love for others (and for yourself, too)?