Thursday, August 22, 2024
In the Episcopal Church, we have a blessing at the end of our service which begins with the words “The peace of God which passes understanding…” This passage comes from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. I find it rather curious that the peace of God passes understanding.
The ego loves to chew on what offends it, but that offense takes time to understand. As words and situations arise in the present moment, it takes a while for the ego to marinate on them, analyze them, solidify them, and hold onto the contempt. The ego creates a model of reality which it holds dear, and Reality blows by it with a differing, fluctuating version.
Most of what bothers people is already done with. When someone says something or you see something that you don’t want to see, it takes a while for the ego to gather it together and make a case that “this shouldn’t be.” The flow of reality goes against the model of perception. By the time the ego notices the so-called offense, peace has passed in the present moment, and the ego holds onto what Isaiah called “the former things.”
By the time you understand anything, peace has passed. The key is to catch the moving nature of Reality. The Spirit flows, and the ego tries to stop. This is the root cause of pain – petrification. You fear that Real Reality will collide with your model of reality, the falsehood of what “should be.” Why let peace pass?
The only way to peace is to deepen your acceptance of the flow of NOW. Befriend Reality. Reconcile with the present moment as it comes out. Release the ego’s insistence of offense, being stuck, and being bothered. The peace of God doesn’t have to pass understanding. You don’t need to understand, just accept unconditionally and pay close attention.