{"id":1048,"date":"2026-10-05T10:39:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T09:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revjane.co.uk\/?p=1048"},"modified":"2026-10-05T10:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T09:57:08","slug":"practical-mysticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revjane.co.uk\/?p=1048","title":{"rendered":"Practical Mysticism"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Reflection #128 (2nd August 2026 at Essex Church \/ Kensington Unitarians)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have a question for you to ponder: Are you<\/i> a mystic?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mirabai Starr says that you are \u2013 we heard that in the reading from Jasmine earlier \u2013 and that view turns up quite frequently in writings on mysticism. Mysticism is not just the preserve of some kind of spiritual elite; it\u2019s a way of being that\u2019s available for all of us. We don\u2019t have to go and live in a cave, or stand on one leg for 40 years, or take a vow of silence, or spin like a dervish, in order to follow a mystical path. Yes, there are all sorts of esoteric practices out there, but there are also mundane ways of being a mystic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

And, as we heard in the story of the mystic and the scientist, mysticism doesn\u2019t even depend on you being on-board with God-language (though if you do feel able to use God-language, or at least grapple with the mystical writings of others who do, it will enable you to engage more deeply with a long lineage of people who have engaged in the same fundamental questions of life and death, meaning and purpose, for centuries). But it doesn\u2019t really rest on God-language. Mysticism is more about a way of seeing the world \u2013 a mode of perception \u2013 which puts you in touch with a sense of \u2018something more\u2019 \u2013 perhaps a sense of oneness or connection \u2013 the underlying nature of reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John C. Robinson has written a bit about this, in his book \u2018Mystical Activism\u2019, he said: \u2018The mystics tell us that the cosmos is completely saturated and infused with divine consciousness, including us. They say the divine is closer than our own breath, nearer than thought, always present, and ultimately our truest self. In other words, we are literally made of God, for the divine is everything. If you want to know divinity, they say, know yourself. Mysticism is about perception \u2013 the direct and transformational perception of ultimate reality. Although it may lead to or confirm religious or spiritual beliefs, mystical experience itself requires neither, and can occur in the absence of belief or to those with atheist convictions. In this way, mysticism is in a category by itself, free from any particular dogma or theology, making it available and useful to activists across the religious and nonreligious spectrum. Mystical experience is the heart and soul of mystical activism. It is the key to transforming self and world, and the power we each possess to change humanity\u2019s course in this apocalyptic time.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said at the top of the service, I wanted us to get away from the assumption that mystics are disinterested in the real world, or are trying to escape from it somehow. Maybe that\u2019s true for some who call themselves mystics, or who are labelled that way. But there\u2019s also a significant strand who combine contemplation with practical action. Beatrice Bruteau, the contemplative pioneer of interspirituality, wrote this: \u2018Nothing is more practical for realizing our desire for a better world than mysticism. Better worlds have to be built on sure foundations; they must be able to withstand deep impediments to their development\u2026 Rearranging energy from within is what mysticism does. How does mysticism do this? Consider that domination, greed, cruelty, violence, and all our other ills arise from a sense of insufficient and insecure being. I need more power, more possessions, more respect and admiration. It\u2019s never enough; the fear always remains\u2026 But, fortunately, everyone is a mystic<\/i>. At some deep level, we know that we are not mutually alienated from each other and that we do have sufficient being\u2026 We are helping each other know that we are deeply related, that we are all precious and deserving, that the universe is our home, that we can feel safe on the deepest level of our being. The sense of oneness that is the hallmark of the mystic is increasing. This oneness \u2013 freedom from alienation and insecurity \u2013 is the sure foundation for a better world. It means that we will try to help each other rather than hurt each other.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Robinson\u2019s book on \u2018Mystical Activism\u2019 (subtitled \u2018Transforming a World in Crisis\u2019) runs with this premise \u2013 that adopting a mystical way of seeing and being will transform us, and ultimately the world, in very practical ways. The book opens with these words: \u2018Mystical Activism\u2026 is an invitation to transform your personality, life, work, spirituality, religion, even the world itself, to become a divine human in a divine world, and a mystical activist in a time of apocalyptic cultural, political, and climate disruption. To call these \u201cend times\u201d is hardly hyperbolic. We are in trouble and the signs are everywhere: extreme political divisions; xenophobic violence; wealth inequity; poverty and homelessness; persistent racism, sexism and ageism; cruelty towards indigenous peoples; arms buildups and unending wars; and, most threatening of all, terrifying climate disruption\u2026 Whenever humanity teeters on a terrifying cliff-edge, mystics offer hope, and it always begins with our own personal transformation\u2026 This apocalyptic time in history represents a profound evolutionary challenge urgently calling us to the next level of spiritual awakening. We are all mystics\u2026 those who pursue the path of enlightenment will learn to dream a new dream of humanity, replacing the illusions of identity, time, and story, with the creative power of love, beauty and enchantment.\u2019 Words from John C. Robinson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All I want to do today is encourage you to look at life through a mystical lens \u2013 to be attuned to the \u2018something more\u2019 (whatever you choose to name that deeper dimension of reality) \u2013 and interpret your everyday experiences in a way that keeps you in touch with the presence of God or the Good all around you. Reach out, in prayer, to that oneness that connects us all, \u2018in whom we live and move and have our being\u2019, for the strength you need to keep on doing good in this world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that spirit, I\u2019ll close with some brief words of prayer, adapted from Clarke Dewey Wells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spirit of Life, God of All Love, Source of Hope and Courage,
\nwe turn our minds and hearts again toward thee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awaken us again to the mysteries that humble us,
\nthe realities that orient us,
\nthe truths that judge and guide us,
\nthe beauty that informs and ravishes us,
\nthe love that nurtures us,
\nthe fellowship that sustains us,
\nthe creativity that heightens and deepens and reorders our living,
\nthat we may give ourselves in honesty and openness to the larger life before us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May it be so, for the greater good of all. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflection by Jane Blackall<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n