Thursday, April 10th
Karen Bonner
In my adult life, I’ve had three dumb dogs and one really smart dog. The dumb dogs were Italian greyhounds, miniature versions of racing dogs. They are gorgeous, elegant, loving, and dumb as rocks. The smart dog was a miniature schnauzer. He was more intelligent than I am. With the greyhounds when I pointed to a dog toy across the room saying, “Go get it, Boy!” they would look expectantly back and forth from my hand to my face, tail wagging. When I did the same with Hugo (best name ever for a schnauzer), he looked from my face to my hand then to what I was pointing at—and he got it.
This Lenten Season, I commit to stop looking at the face of Jesus and the drama of the Passion. That’s right—I said it. I commit to look at what Jesus’ words, teaching, life example, and Passion point to. I believe Jesus is pointing to a deep, inner connection with the Source of Being, the Holy Within. Jesus says in Luke 17:21, “The kingdom of God is within you.” The ‘within’ can also be translated as ‘among.” Let’s make a both/and out of that: The kingdom of God is within and among you. Sounds like a 12-step meeting. You know, Higher Power is found within, and support is found among fellow addicts. Wouldn’t it be funny if Jesus came back now, and instead of manifesting as a baby in a manger in a stable, we found him hanging out in 12-step meetings, where people are honest and coming to terms with how they are not in control of everything?
I digress. So how to connect with the Divine Within, the Higher Power? Jesus is pointing to the how. He withdraws to the desert for forty days and encounters his own human Shadow side. The three temptations offered by his own Shadow and Instant gratification (stones into bread), entitlement (expectation of rescue without consequence when something stupid has been done -like jumping off high building), and abuse of power (in therapy-speak, ego-inflation. Granny used to say, “you’re getting a little too big for your britches, Missy!”) Yes, we must come to terms with all of that in ourselves to shave down the big “I,” with appropriate humility (Man, our culture seems to hate that word!) so that the connection with the Holy Within, the source of Being can be made conscious through us. The problem is, if approached properly, this is a damned painful business. Like a crucifixion. If, at any point, the thought occurs, “My God, my God, why…?” we may be on the right track. Not for the faint of heart.
My own spiritual discipline is dream work. I believe—I know—that the Holy Within is the playwright and stage manager for the dramas that unfold in my sleep. I’ve been shown the best and worst of myself in my dreams. I’ve told the story many times of the dream I had twenty-five years ago of being captured by Nazis. What a brilliant and horrifying picture of being captured by my own ego-inflated power drive!
I had to do something about that for my marriage to survive and to maintain any kind of relationship with my almost grown child. I had to sacrifice –crucify—that lovely puffed up, self-righteous power feeling and adopt a little humility and (ugh) tenderness. But that was my particular sin. Everyone has their favorite. The good news (Good News) is there’s never a crucifixion without a resurrection—transformed. The not so good news is that these crucifixion and resurrections happen again and again throughout our lifetime if we’re answering the call to follow Jesus. No rest for the wicked. Oh, but worth it to have life more abundantly, meaningful, and rich. More importantly, to express the meaningful, joyful, rich abundance into the world. That’s why we have Easter every year.
Click here to download the 2025 Lenten meditations