Inspiration

“A fo ben, bid bont.” is a Welsh proverb, often translated: 

If you want to be a leader, be a bridge.

When you're struggling to determine if one of your life's guiding principles is as true as you've thought and others have taught, you've reached the place where you’re preparing for the Living Word to speak to you. Now is a key time for listening with your heart. As the Sufi poet, Rumi, wrote, "When the lips are silent, the heart has a hundred tongues."

Write your question down; speak it out loud. Then prepare your spirit to receive the Holy Spirit's discernment. Listen quietly, as long and often as you can. Let speed yield to consistency and tenacity.

The answer may be, "Yes, it's not only as true as you imagined; it's even truer than that." Or, the answer may be, "No, it's not nearly that true, and maybe not even true at all."

When you hear an answer that is inspired, you may recognize it by these characteristics:

• (1) PEACE - At your core, you will notice a deep peace; not a fluffy, comfortable peace, but an anchoring, courageous peace.
• (2) COMMUNITY - It will draw you toward others; sometimes deeper into the lives of those you already know; other times into the lives of new people who seem very different from you; often it will ask you to be the bridge between disparate groups. These groups – old, new, and blended – will become a place where collective discernment examines and weaves divine truth into a community narrative, allowing individually vested interest to be set aside in favor of common good.
• (3) RECONCILIATION - The reconciling nature of divine revelation isn't prone to inciting violence in you; perhaps, in others who reject its truth; but seldom, if ever, in you. The deep rhythm of divine truth's percussion can be jarring dissonance to those whose eyes are set on ego; but it's more like a mother's heartbeat to those regularly resting on the divine breast.
• (4) COMMITMENT - This answer will likely ask you to render a valuable part of who you are on someone else's behalf; to risk your own comfort, offering grace for another's affliction.
• (5) HOPE - Finally, whatever answer toward which you are pulled, divine inspiration will regularly call you to discard fear and gather hope. There is no room for scarcity, anxiety, or exile in God's economy.

In inviting you to this sacred journey of holy hearing, I say, "God be with you!" not because I have any doubt this will be the case, but because it is of vital importance that we discern and celebrate divine presence in the journey.

Mutual blessing is part of the divine order of the universe. Recognize, give, and receive it every day. It's why we're here.

© 2015 Todd Jenkins