Think about it, there must be a higher love
Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above Without it, life is wasted time Look inside your heart, and I'll look inside mine Things look so bad everywhere In this whole world, what is fair? We walk the line and try to see Falling behind in what could be Bring me a higher love Bring me a higher love Bring me a higher love Where's that higher love I keep thinking of? Worlds are turning, and we're just hanging on Facing our fear, and standing out there alone There is a yearning that is real to me There must be someone who's feeling for me
(Lyrics by Steve Winwood)
Could it be that this song describes the current state of your inner questioning and longing? “There must be Someone who is feeling for me.” (“S”mine) Or maybe, as Richard Rohr suggests, it points to how we can spiritually thrive during this disorder.
I have recently found myself praying “Lord, surprise me with your love.” Even in the most challenging or ordinary places. He opens my eyes to see my life, His world and others from a higher, different perspective as I—
· Let go of the way I think life should be
· See people in their hidden “pool of tears”
· Connect more fully with my own suppressed emotion
Letting go of limiting narratives about God, myself and others is never easy. Seeing them is even harder. But when we don’t, we miss out on a deeper connection, a spiritual maturity, a higher love.
Here are few people in the Bible who were completely surprised and transformed by Higher Love---
Higher Love is drawn to vulnerability. Elijah, after working hard for God, finds himself in the wilderness under a broom tree, fearful for his life and wanting to die. Is he really wanting to discover something more true and real about himself than what his ministry produced? God meets Elijah at his lowest point and receives hot bread, a jar of water, and falls asleep in God’s arms. This affectionate love affects Elijah so profoundly, that he is able to experience God in a new way and hear Him whisper.
Higher Love does not shame. Thomas, the disciple, encounters the “divine courtesy” of Jesus in his wilderness of doubt. Jesus meets Thomas with the utmost respect, honoring Thomas’ questioning personality. With a patient love, He looks into the eyes of his forlorn follower, “Reach out your hand, put it in my side.” (John 20:27) I wonder how the dignity and grace of Jesus’ approach opened Thomas’ heart more fully to Jesus’ challenge to “risk a new way of faith”…believing without seeing. (A Dance with Gentleness, Stephanie Ford)
Higher Love is not pushy. The rich young ruler was looking for something higher than behavior management as a way to connect with God. “Tell me, there must be something more”, he said. Jesus felt a love for him and called him to an emptying that his fullness wasn’t ready for. Grieving, the young man walked away sad because he was not able to meet the challenge of following Jesus….yet. (Mark 17: 17-22) I like to think that this man ends up saying “yes” to the journey with Jesus somewhere down the road. Jesus never pushes himself on people, He only offers them compelling invitations that will bless them.
Inspiration for this post came to me while on my Pelaton listening to Whiney Houston singing my favorite rendition of this song --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTYOkcRH220
