Glimpses of Transcendence

 

I am the vine; you are the branches. 

Whoever abides in me and I in him, 

he it is that bears much fruit, 

for apart from me you can do nothing. 

(John 15:5)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Transcendence is closely related to the word, metaphysical, that expresses the idea of existence beyond the normal physical reality. Transcendence is a concept from theology, not a biblical term. Yet, Jesus’ parable of the vine and the branches shapes a similar concept expanding on the role of connection in the parable. 

Consider the penalty for not remaining in connection: “If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” (John 15:6) The vine roots or grounds the branches providing water and sustenance. Being cut off from the vine leads to withering, which is much like ignoring the self-referencing problem leads to instability.

While an agricultural metaphor sounds worldly (or earthy) to our ears, it communicates on a level that we all immediately grasp. The self-referencing problem is more of a mathematical abstraction that requires a bit of thought or explaining. Jesus was more straightforward. He never claimed to be theologian or mathematician and could not be expected to speak like one.

Two transcendence stories come to mind from my own experience.

The Presidential Basketball Date

The first story comes from a conversation that I had with one of my kids when they were growing up. At that time, the President was known to be  athletic and especially favored basketball. What difference would it make, I asked, if the President of the United States set aside his state duties every Saturday morning just to play basketball with you? Would that make you feel special, like someone whose life had value? What would your friends say? 

In prayer, the creator of heaven and earth takes time to listen and speak with us—personally. It is kind of like a basketball date with the President. Yet, in our self-centered ways, we miss the imparting of tremendous value that personal prayer infers on us. Treating Jesus as nothing more than our occasional buddy actually demeans us as individuals because our value as individuals is a derivative of the praise and honor we place on God.

Divine Mentor

The second transcendence story is much more personal. Prayer plays an increasingly important role in my life the older I get. For much of my life I yearned for a mentor who would recognize my special talents and worth as a person and mentor me in developing these talents and elevate my worth in a rather dispassionate and lonely world. The fact that no such human mentor ever made an appearance led to an inordinate amount of self-pity for many years.

What changed with age was the realization that in Jesus I had a divine mentor who had guided me through his Holy Spirit all along. Setbacks that I experienced morphed into opportunities. I kept experiencing “gracious accidents” in time and place that elevated my career, enhanced my salary, and grew my pension through no merit of my own. 

The thing about gracious accidents is that they are not something that you can anticipate and pray for, although living a Christian lifestyle helps one humbly to prepare for and accept such accidents. Recognizing them as gifts from God leads one to funnel such gifts into godly uses, like educating your kids or supporting worthy causes. For the foolish, gold coins can easily slip through the fingers and predictably do.

Far from being infrequent or highly theological, these glimpses of transcendence have strengthened my spirit and expanded my prayer life—a common experience. Thus, the parable of the vine and branches plays a special role in my daily experience of God.

Glimpses of Transcendence

Also see:

The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com

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