I was listening to NPR this morning as I was cooking pumpkin, strawberry, and chocolate chip pancakes. (Not all in the same pancake!) In the introduction to an "I believe.." segment I heard the following statements. "I believe that life is a spiritual journey" and "I believe that God is in the space between people". As I flipped the pancakes I found my mind flipping back and forth between the two.
"Spiritual" stirs in me thoughts of connectedness, wholeness, and mystery. An awareness that there are powers at work beyond what I can see, hear, and touch. Something Holy, Sacred. "Journey" implies that I cannot stand still, stagnant. My encounters with the sacred are ongoing, evolving. It is only after I mix the flour, eggs, milk, etc. and heat on the grill do the ingredients come together to be pancakes. So too with my "spiritual journey".
As I serve pumpkin pancakes to Mary and chocolate chip pancakes to John I think about the second statement. The one about God being experienced in the space between people. The pancakes I've created cannot serve their purpose unless I serve them to those who will enjoy them. The truth is; I do not like either pumpkin or chocolate chip pancakes. What I like, is watching the people I love enjoy what I have been able to create. Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he said "Love one another as I have loved you."
