Perichoresis

I have been reading several books recently that have deeply affected the way I see God and have had a profound impact on my relationship with him: Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell; Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, by Eugene Peterson; The Shack, by William P Young and Song of Songs, by God (!). I have also been spending time with my friend Kelly and our conversations have deepened my perspective even further.

I am learning that the Jesus-centred life is all about him. It's not about me. At all. All I have to do is keep looking at him and I can trust him to do all the rest. It's not about me trying to do the right thing, or trying to become a better Christian, or trying to please him. Because I can't. It's about letting him do what he wants with my life and in my soul, gradually changing me as I focus on him, as I spend my life with him.

I am learning that life is all about relationships; firstly, relationship with God, then relationships with people. Life is about love. Loving in the way Jesus loves. No conditions. No expectations. Loving out of love itself; loving because I am loved. It's about spending time with people, getting to know them, sharing their lives, their hopes, their pain. And letting people into my life, letting them share my burdens and my dreams.

I am learning that God loves me with a deep, deep love. That he is inviting me to participate with him in the relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That there is nothing he wants more than a relationship with me; he looks forward to the times I spend with him and really delights in my presence, yet puts no expectations on how much time I should spend with him. His is not a demanding love; it's an inviting love. And that means I am free. No longer do I need to feel guilty about not living up to the standards other people seem to expect me to, in terms of my experience of the Holy Spirit or my practice of spiritual disciplines, etc. Guilt does not help my relationship with God! I am learning that I cannot live up to any standards imposed on me, either by myself or others. I am completely unable to because I am only human. So I am free to live my life with God at my own pace, in my own way. My experience of God is going to be different from everyone else's because I'm made differently; I am my own, unique person, so I must not beat myself up if I can't fit into someone else's mould.

I am learning that I am helpless to change myself and I am learning that what I need is more of God in my life and less of me: I am learning to give up my rights and my expectations; to realise that I am not important, even in my own life. It's all about God. Everything I do needs to spring from the love I have for God, not from a sense of duty or a set of rules I should follow.

I am learning to find my satisfaction in God alone.

I imagine the Father, Son and Holy Spirit standing in a group, absorbed in happy conversation with each other. Two of them are facing more or less in my direction, the other has his back to me. As I walk towards them, I am confident of being welcomed. The two who can see me turn their faces towards me with delight in their eyes, then the third one turns to see what they're looking at, finds it's me and his face breaks into a wonderful smile. The three have been happily waiting for me and as I approach, with my heart full of joy and expectancy, they open their circle a little, just enough to let me in, and I join them in their joy-filled, love-filled conversation. And we dance. Perichoresis.*

*Greek word for dance, used by early Greek theologians to describe the Trinity; see Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, pp44-47



© Fiona L Cooper 2008