Spiritual Entanglement

I am a a dabbler in physics and quantum mechanics, and I've been fascinated by the scientific principle of Quantum Entanglement, I won't go into details suffice to say that the theory implies that electrons are connected to each other and have an effect on each other regardless of their proximity in the universe, i.e. they are entangled with each other's cause and effect relationships. I've coined a phrase in my spiritual vocabulary that goes along with this scientific observation: Spiritual Entanglement.

I've been amazed time and time again at how many things are entangled in my spiritual sojourn. I got up this morning and picked up Thomas Keating's little book The Human Condition. It had been some time since I read this, and I thought it might speak to me in my current Lenten context. The major line that struck me was: "Here we are under the influence of unconscious drives of various intensity that in turn influence our decisions and relationships with other people and foul them up" (24). After reading Keating, I picked up my Methodist Lent devotional and the text for today was Matthew 11:25: "[You have] hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes."

I saw this verse in a new light today. How hidden are the drives and urges that originate from my false self? Very! I'm realizing that my past efforts to become wise and learned only assisted in covering up the reality of the way things are in the Kingdom of God. At this point in my journey, I'm finally sensing that it's not my job to "fix things." It is only my job to demonstrate a life lived in the true-self, i.e. a life reflective of the image of God. It was when I saw this life in the true self demonstrated by fellow members of this community that I was able to drop my nets and follow the contemplative path. Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina are returning me to an age of innocence where I am free to accept reality and be proactive in my true self as opposed to being reactive in my old/false self.

Does this mess with your electrons any?

Peace,
Mark