Looking to see beyond!

Watching this bird perched hidden, except through one angle, captivated me. The bird ensured visibility of the sights all around. 

Birds are known to have heightened level of sensory, sound and wind perceptions. Most resident birds in an area have fixed flight positions, which they would cover in their flight path, each day sometimes even twice in a day. 

Looking in an avian habit to see beyond. Some birds have visual acuity for a few kilometres and similar heightened sensory appreciation. 

As humans, we too have similar habits of looking. We look forward, backward and inward! It is when this happens as a habit, we can grow up as those with hindsights,  foresights an insights. 

A senior friend who passed away in his late seventies, once told me about his habit of looking forward, backward and inward. He had a scholarly background of adult education, psychology and theology. He was widely read and travelled. He was involved in adulthood and spiritual formation of young people in about forty countries. When he turned sixty, he took time to look back and listen inwardly about the happenings in his life. What occurred to him during a one month retreat he took was that, he was moved to create a retreat home for people to come to, to spend time to revise their lives. That insight grew over the next one year and he found a ruined property in a less inhabited village, which could become the  retreat home. 

For the next twenty years, this became his mission, by inviting people from different continents whom he knew, to come for a one month long retreat. He structured the retreat in such a way that about 20 participants spent one month together, going through a structured discipline and instruction plan. 

The discipline included practicing silence,  Bible based meditation, skills for listening with the heart, communication with attentiveness, doing acts of kindness, attentiveness towards the voice from within, self-directed learning, etc. The instruction included learning from the science of psychology, adult education, behavioural and personality patterns, social setting, Biblio-centric view of integrated living, etc. 

What fascinated me while I was listening to  him, was the summary of this dual emphasis he arrived at, during his three months long retreat, to be the theme for the Life Revision Seminar he would offer to the participants, who would come for one month. 

According to him, he reached the 'depth of his being' during the exercise of looking back, forward and inward. It was from that experience, his  hindsight, foresight, and insight offered him the direction to help others to experience changes in their lives. 

This triune consciousness is the defining optic for those who seek to live their lives in the fullness of being and doing!

To become, what we can be, is an on-going exercise in human formation. 

Among the healing miracles performed by Jesus of Nazareth, two events come to my mind to understand more about the inner attitude or insight that we live with. 

Fist was the encounter Jesus had with Bartimaeus (Mark10:46-52). When Bartimaeus was crying out, 'Son of David, have mercy on me', Jesus asked him, 'What do you want Me to do for you'! Barttimaeus responded saying,  'Rabboni, I want to regain my sight'. Jesus responded to his request and Bartimaeus received back sight instantly. Bartimaeus was clear and focussed on his need and knew who would grant his desire to see. 

The second was a man who was sick for thirty eight years, sitting beside the pool of Bethesda, waiting for the pool to be stirred up for him to get in to be healed. Jesus seeing him, asked him, 'Do you wish to get well' ? (John.5:1-9). His response was:'I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me'. A rather disturbing answer springing from disappointment and anguish. Jesus healed him and he took his bed and walked away. His insight was coloured by his disappointment and grief. 

The story of Bartimaeus is one of insightful living and that of the man beside the pool was  one of a disgruntled state. 

What makes our life's journey insightful is the way we revise our lives and live pursuing the call from within. 

Looking to see beyond is one way of finding the call from deep within. Within the depth of our being resides a longing, which can be unfolded during times of looking backward, forward and

inward! Tis needs dedicated time every day and longer time once a week as habit. 

The flight movements of birds spring from looking beyond!

All humans have this prospect of living from within, guided by the insight that comes by the habit of practicing the discipline of reflection and finding instruction for the path ahead through adult education in personal formation!

That is how we can feel guided by looking beyond !

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)