Divine Spark

“No one is as blind, as a person who won’t see, and no one is as deaf, as a person who won’t hear.”

Vidura, Mahabharata

Can one fall in love with love? This is not a rhetoric question for Greek mythology buffs. It is a scream from the depth of my soul, where according to the 14th century theologist Meister Eckhard, the “Göttliche Funken”, that very “Divine Spark” lives, that enables people to inflame with love for God and the world. It is there, it lives and shines within every human, and it is possible to activate it in everyone, one just has to try. This Spark is like a seed, that needs fruitful soil to grow, and that soil (causa essentialis) is human soul. The soul is uncreated and uncreatable because only like can recognize and nurture the like.

Meister Eckhard was a priest, a preacher, a mystic. He preached love in hope to awaken the raw, unkempt mob to the beauty within. This in turn would hopefully bring them to realize the beauty without. Toward their neighbor, who also qualifying as “unio mystica” the unity of God and human, is worthy of love and respect. Eckhards words have not fallen on the barren ground. Six hundred years have gone past and nobody knows his name anymore, but the expression “Divine Spark” is familiar. It comes back in drama, in poetry, in film. It stares at us in form of every judge and teacher. It is what sends doctors from Médecins Sans Frontières into war-torn areas and countless helpers to other wasted parts of the world. In short, it is the basis of today’s society as a democratic and free union.

Can it prove to be too much? Can it be, that our society confuses the bliss of a mystic who, having given himself and his possessions to God, has no other responsibilities with a doctrine which, having shaped our entire society, is capable of turning us into a herd of cattle? What is a lot of chosen few, cannot be turned into the mass indoctrination. Alone because the average person does not understand mysticism.

We were never meant to collectively sit in the corner and chant all day long. This was the job of specially allocated for that purpose people. Those people would give up all earthly pleasures, all temptations and goods, so we would be free to gamble, philander and gain wealth. Then we would come and ask them to make the hell hot, so we could get rid of this baggage. Let us not forget that there are no such thing as free lunches, so we would have to be prepared to pay. We don’t qualify for sages. Just as there’s no such thing as being “a little pregnant”, there’s no such thing as being a “part-time saint”.

Knowing this, I don’t except the calls of those would -be saints to turn the other cheek toward horrible events taking place in the world. I do not want to hear about the childhood traumas of paedophiles, hardship of people smugglers, of political and religious suppression of suicide bombers. I also do not wish to delve into psychological profiles of British politicians who offer such pearls of wisdom as combating IS with cups of tea.

Today, after the horrible terror attack in Belgium, the first thing I saw in the news (again) was a prominent headline “Terrorism has nothing to do with Islam”. In the words of my German husband: I am glad they explained it to me. Now I know, that concentration camps had nothing to do with Nazism. It was all Hitler. Just this one bad guy, who was confused and misguided. This must be right, because media tells me so. Furthermore, our government has postulated that it is so. Wait… not only ours! It must be the truth then. In fact, no religion per se, can be evil. It is only some people’s interpretation of it that leads to misunderstandings.

I beg to differ. We know of many times in history, when great wars have been fought under the banner of one or the other religion. Is the world suffering from some kind of mass amnesia?

Misunderstandings? Large scale crimes against humanity. Repeatedly. And every time we are told that it is an exception to the rule. Then maybe it is time to change the rules. It is also time for people to wake up and smell the coffee. Start asking relevant questions, and stop looking at the world through the rose-colored Meister Eckhard glasses, because his have the wrong strength for you. And love, as we know, makes us blind.

No prizes for guessing why I chose this picture.