Christian emptiness

[django]

Christian emptiness is allowing a feeling of emptiness to be acknowledged as the prod to seek what will truly fill it. Maybe a couple of quotes from Spurgeon might help me to be more clear:

“Now, remember, you will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything else but Christ. All that was ever woven by man, God shall unravel; all the sticks and stones that human energy can build, in the matter of eternal salvation, must be plucked down by Jehovah’s hand, for it is Christ alone who must build that house; unless he shall do so, they will labour in vain that build it.”

“God’s smile and a dungeon are enough for a true heart. His frown and a palace would be hell to a gracious spirit. Let the worst come to the worst, let all the talents go, we have not lost our treasure."

Sometimes I feel empty and try to fill this emptiness with other people or food or things, and it's like I'm dense because I forget to see this feeling as a gift leading me further on the path towards the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven within.

Emptiness is painful though, one of those recurring feelings that we try to reduce. Facing it, engaging with it in awareness and directly, does seem to help though I do forget this initially when emptiness returns periodically. And then I remember again.

[sky]

Originally Posted by django

Christian emptiness is allowing a feeling of emptiness to be acknowledged as the prod to seek what will truly fill it. Maybe a couple of quotes from Spurgeon might help me to be more clear:

“Now, remember, you will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything else but Christ. All that was ever woven by man, God shall unravel; all the sticks and stones that human energy can build, in the matter of eternal salvation, must be plucked down by Jehovah’s hand, for it is Christ alone who must build that house; unless he shall do so, they will labour in vain that build it.”

“God’s smile and a dungeon are enough for a true heart. His frown and a palace would be hell to a gracious spirit. Let the worst come to the worst, let all the talents go, we have not lost our treasure."

Sometimes I feel empty and try to fill this emptiness with other people or food or things, and it's like I'm dense because I forget to see this feeling as a gift leading me further on the path towards the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven within.

Emptiness is painful though, one of those recurring feelings that we try to reduce. Facing it, engaging with it in awareness and directly, does seem to help though I do forget this initially when emptiness returns periodically. And then I remember again.

The usefulness of a pot is in its emptiness

[sentient]

Originally Posted by sky123

The usefulness of a pot is in its emptiness

Ha ha - empty cupness came to my mind.

Nothing wrong with the emptiness of cupness

[sky]

Originally Posted by sentient

Ha ha - empty cupness came to my mind.

Nothing wrong with the emptiness of cupness

Emptiness in my Bank Account is another story,

[django]

You have not danced so badly, my dear,
Trying to hold hands with the Beautiful One.

You have waltzed with great style,
My sweet, crushed angel,
To have ever neared God’s heart at all.

Our Partner is notoriously difficult to follow,
And even His best musicians are not always easy to hear.

So what,
If the music has stopped for a while.

So what,
If the price of admission to the Divine is out of reach tonight.

So what, my dear,
If you do not have the ante to gamble for Real Love.

The mind and the body are famous for holding the heart ransom, but Hafiz knows the Beloved’s eternal habits.

Have patience,
For He will not be able to resist your longing for long.

You have not danced so badly, my dear,
Trying to kiss the Beautiful One.

You have actually waltzed with tremendous style,
O my sweet,
O my sweet crushed angel.

-Hafiz

[davidmartin]

Originally Posted by sentient

Ha ha - empty cupness came to my mind.

Nothing wrong with the emptiness of cupness

and what's inside the empty pot, cause it's not empty
that's the problem. if it was empty everything would be fine

[django]

Some helpful thoughts I am reading right now...

When I feel empty, I know it is because my soul is expanding by the hands of the Divine Surgeon so I can be filled with more of Him.

...According to St. John of the Cross, “One must encounter a vast inner void.” It doesn’t mean we’re doing something wrong if we experience it. It means we’re human. We were actually created with this emptiness that literally nothing in this world can fill. And to be fully human means to allow ourselves to feel and experience that emptiness for the truth of what it is: a hole made for Christ Himself — a dwelling place for Him within our heart.

“[Emptiness] purifies our love for God…the Lord never permits us to experience a time of trial unless he intends it to bring more abundant graces once it is over. Do not be discouraged. Persevere.”

Emptiness is not the enemy...

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by django

...to see this feeling as a gift leading me further on the path
towards the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven within... And then I remember again.

Well, you just posted the secret to the spiritual Path!

AND you quote Hafiz!

[django]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Well, you just posted the secret to the spiritual Path!

AND you quote Hafiz!

........

[django]

John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'" 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. NAS

The word "innermost being" is the Greek koilos, meaning hole or empty place. It is often translated belly or womb.

Emptiness that is first noticed in the belly, taking it in this sense I first felt this emptiness in my belly when I was 12, and greed first developed because food suddenly didn't fill me anymore. I didn't know then that it wasn't more and more food that I needed of course.