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| Aslan brings Edmund back to Square One |
Eugene Peterson, in Subversive Spirituality, uses the idea of “square one” to make some spiritual points.
Peterson writes:
Peterson writes:
“Square One is the place from which we begin learning how to live with Absence with the same ease with which we have come to live with Presence. The generic word that we use for this is Faith – in its classic and never yet improved upon definition, “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).” (Subversive Spirituality, 18)
“The characteristic element of Square One is this: God said. When we live at Square One “the absolutely indispensable word that we learn is: God.”
When we “return to Square One,” we return not only to a realization that God or of God, but to a listening. Listening to what God says. “God said.” (23) Everything meaningful, relevant, and authentic follows from this.
“The characteristic element of Square One is this: God said. When we live at Square One “the absolutely indispensable word that we learn is: God.”
When we “return to Square One,” we return not only to a realization that God or of God, but to a listening. Listening to what God says. “God said.” (23) Everything meaningful, relevant, and authentic follows from this.
At Square One it’s not about spiritual chatter, or spiritual platitudes, or talking “Christian-eze.” It is a being-addressed, a being-talked-to, by God. This is not about us talking, or even bragging about our spiritual experiences and accomplishments, but about “listening to God call us, heal us, forgive us.” (27) Peterson writes:
“This is hard to get into our heads. We talk habitually to ourselves and about ourselves. We don’t listen. If we do listen to each other it is almost always with the purpose of getting something we can use in our turn. Much of our listening is a form of politeness, courteously waiting our turn to talk about ourselves. But in relation to God especially we must break the habit and let him speak to us. God not only is; God Says. Christian spirituality, in addition to being an attentive spirituality, is a listening spirituality.” (27)
Christian spirituality begins with God. God speaks. We listen. We respond. In obedience.
“This is hard to get into our heads. We talk habitually to ourselves and about ourselves. We don’t listen. If we do listen to each other it is almost always with the purpose of getting something we can use in our turn. Much of our listening is a form of politeness, courteously waiting our turn to talk about ourselves. But in relation to God especially we must break the habit and let him speak to us. God not only is; God Says. Christian spirituality, in addition to being an attentive spirituality, is a listening spirituality.” (27)
Christian spirituality begins with God. God speaks. We listen. We respond. In obedience.
To not listen to God is to not respond to him. One can’t respond to a voice they don’t even hear. “Non-listening obedience” is self-contradictory. Henri Nouwen has pointed out that the word “obedience,” from the Latin ob + audire, contains the idea of “listening” (audire, from which we get “audio”). An audiologist tests our hearing. Of course if we cannot hear then we cannot be expected to obey. Not to be in a continual listening-relationship to God is to be in perpetual dis-audire; dis-obedience. If that’s the case, it’s time to get back to Square One, the place of listening, the place where God Says.
I love how Peterson expands on this as he describes the causal efficacy of God Says. He writes:
“Something remarkable takes place when we return to Square One, to the place of adoration and listening – a terrific infusion of energy within us; a release of adrenaline in our souls which becomes obedience. The reason is that the word that God speaks to us is the kind of word that makes things happen. When God speaks it is not in order to give us information on the economy so that we will know how to do our financial planning. When God speaks it is not as a fortune teller, looking into our personal future and satisfying curiosity regarding our romantic prospects or the best horse to bet on. No, when God speaks it is not in explanation of all the things that we have not been able to find answers to from our parents or in books or from reading tea leaves. God’s Word is not, in essence, information or gossip or explanation. God’s Word makes things happen – he makes something happen in us. The imperative is a primary verb form in Holy Scripture: “Let there be light… Go… Come… Repent… Believe… Be still… Be healed… Get up… Ask… Love… Pray…” (28)
And the consequence, the intended result, of God Says is obedience. “I will run in the way of your commandments, when you give me understanding.” (Ps. 119:32) Peterson says:
“Yes, run. Square One, with its attentiveness and listening, is that place of understanding – we know who we are and where we are… and who God is and where he is. At that place and in that condition, there is an inward gathering and concentration of energy that on signal from God’s imperative expresses itself in, precisely, obedience – running in the way of God’s commandments.” (28)
Get back to Square One. Stay there.
I love how Peterson expands on this as he describes the causal efficacy of God Says. He writes:
“Something remarkable takes place when we return to Square One, to the place of adoration and listening – a terrific infusion of energy within us; a release of adrenaline in our souls which becomes obedience. The reason is that the word that God speaks to us is the kind of word that makes things happen. When God speaks it is not in order to give us information on the economy so that we will know how to do our financial planning. When God speaks it is not as a fortune teller, looking into our personal future and satisfying curiosity regarding our romantic prospects or the best horse to bet on. No, when God speaks it is not in explanation of all the things that we have not been able to find answers to from our parents or in books or from reading tea leaves. God’s Word is not, in essence, information or gossip or explanation. God’s Word makes things happen – he makes something happen in us. The imperative is a primary verb form in Holy Scripture: “Let there be light… Go… Come… Repent… Believe… Be still… Be healed… Get up… Ask… Love… Pray…” (28)
And the consequence, the intended result, of God Says is obedience. “I will run in the way of your commandments, when you give me understanding.” (Ps. 119:32) Peterson says:
“Yes, run. Square One, with its attentiveness and listening, is that place of understanding – we know who we are and where we are… and who God is and where he is. At that place and in that condition, there is an inward gathering and concentration of energy that on signal from God’s imperative expresses itself in, precisely, obedience – running in the way of God’s commandments.” (28)
Get back to Square One. Stay there.
