Table of contents
Faith and Some Saintly Wisdom
This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections.
~St. Augustine
If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!
~St. Catherine of Sienna
The Moral Compass
One of my favorite hymns as a child was Amazing Grace. It is soulful and deep, and resonates with a core root of being. I have a hard time putting this feeling into qualitative words. Yet, I know when I hear that hymn, it is an invitation to pay respect. Just listening to the beauty of its droning melody, I cannot help but be deeply connected with my source of faith.
I will not go into a psychological analysis of the entire piece here. However, I do want to focus on one verse, as it has a profound connection to faith.
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see. (Wikipedia Contributors)
How many are lost in today’s world? Yet, when I ask that question, I cannot help but wonder, if the reason that so many are lost, is because they place their treasures in that which is wordly to begin with? Can faith guide the lost back to that place of being found?
Faith, Perfection, and the Imperfect self
What does it mean to be perfect? No wonder so so many appear lost these days. From a philosophical lens, I cannot help but pry into the quandary of perfection. Even in Eastern models of philosophy, to attain perfection (Nirvana), simply means to be “blown out” or “extinguished.” As I ponder on this concept, does that not mean then that the shell (life) ceases to exist.
From a soul based perspective, does to blow the soul out mean the literal end of life as we know it. Possibly. Yet, when life has left, is the shell of the body all that remains?
I do not believe so. For there is much evidence that suggests the soul’s flame continues even past the body’s expiration. We have memories. There is love, that complex emotion that brings forth the strongest of positive and negative feeling states. We remember as a means to re-member. This allows us to re-create the image of that member (person/event/pet/or thing) that was so pivotal to our life. Our psyche, allows us the ability to create these images as a means to ground us with what was. This allows us to actively learn. which in turn creates the means from which personal development allows us to create a path towards that which can be. It is in this unknown territory of the ether, that the soul (Psyche) creates the space needed for us to chase our own perfections so that we can set the world ablaze.
Through faith, we realize our capacity to be imperfect. Yet, as a concept, it also allows us to chip away at those rough edges, so that we can shape ourselves into that being that calls upon our inner most Self to emerge.
Faith, self, and Self: The Emergence of Passion
As I wrote the above passage, I thought about Michelangelo’s statue of David. I saw this magnificent piece of perfection as a young man. It struck me how deep the reservoir of the soul must run, to create such a work of art. While I had yet to learn of the master craftsmanship behind the process he undertook at the time, I simply knew I was standing in the midst of perfection. During that same trip, I also was first exposed to the beauty of Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel, a masterful rendition of the Bible Michelangelo, the same artist that rendered the David from the marble that entrapped its essence..
The Sistine Chapel, like the statue of David, is nothing short of a masterpiece. It shows how through hard work, and what I must call a spiritual passion, a vision emerges that can inspire generations. It is interesting to note, how even Michelangelo likened his journey towards a spiritual aim.
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.
While I learned of his plight to create these works of perfection in Art History, as a young and budding doctoral student, studying the depths of psychology, I reflect on the beauty of this quote as having psychological value, especially in the plight we undertake to become whole within our Self concept.
Self and self: The Role of Faith in Self Discovery
The psychological constructs of the Self versus self shows the capacity the psyche has to move towards perfection. Yet, can we be perfect? In a human state, I do not at least philosophically believe so. For each day, we grow, and have the capacity to learn from the perspective past, present, and future afford us. For, each day we live, we grow, more towards a state that links us towards a final reality that will be all that was. Yet, from a psychological perspective, the idea of death can be fearful to most. However, I cannot help but fathom, does the attainment of perfection simply mean the light of life blows out.
Aside from this slight tendency to undertake the existential meandering above, let us look at the ideal Self from the concept of faith. Religious traditions are rich with stories of individuals that transcended to a state of consciousness that is divine. In Catholicism, we have the stories of the Saints, those individuals that created Miracles on Earth. In many cultures, there are examples of individuals who moved beyond the ordinary, and became exemplary in their spiritual deeds, yet, I will not attempt to speak to other cultural traditions out of a deep respect I personally have for faith of any sort.
Throughout my travels, I have seen many sights associated with many Saints and Apostles. The feelings in these places transcend words. Yet, I cannot help but feel something holy any time I am in the presence of such a spiritual place of being. While these individuals may no longer exist with us, at least on an earthly plain, I cannot help but fathom, how their perfections attained on this imperfect world still permeate in the midsts of their spiritual presence.
Concluding Comments
Maybe it is humanities plight to weed out its imperfections as St. Augustine alludes to above. Yet, he doesn’t say to become perfect. As he shows, our perfection lies in our ability to find our own imperfections. Augustine of Hippo was a sinner turned Saint. Maybe there is an inroad to insight in his wonderful confessions.
Yet, we must also work on our growth. I know this to be true, psychologically as well as philosophically. Inner work is a growing process, one that honors our ability to find out what and who we are. While there may be many turns in that process, I cannot help but think, if we happen upon ourselves, somewhere in that land of the lost, maybe, can we identify what is present, embrace what we should be, and ultimately set the world ablaze.
With faith and service my friends, I hope God brings you blessings in this New Year as you journey forward to advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.
References
Wikipedia Contributors. “Amazing Grace.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace.
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