Thrust.
Humans are fully capable of becoming God, not in the fullest sense of the term, but in a very real way, where the light, life, and love of God are pouring through them, channeling a source of healing, compassion, and reconciliation wherever they go and whatever they do. They are rooted in the divine compassion and mercy, and are manifesting…the pure light of the image and likeness of God within them, which is the assimilation of the mind and heart of Christ in everyday life.
~ Thomas Keating
new years, 6
Last night I had a dream. With a question of burning importance, I was seeking the counsel of an older advisor. Because there was a party in the house, I invited him to a back room for privacy. Every time I started explaining my dilemma, a couple toddlers would wander into the room. I would try to usher them out (in the dream, it didn’t occur to me to lock the door), only to turn around and find four or five more of the little tykes. And every time I tried to return to the conversation, I would forget more of what it was I needed to solve with him. As the urgency and frustration mounted to a fevered pitch, I woke with a start.
Next, a real story from many years ago… We were on a family vacation to the North Carolina mountains, and our minivan started having mechanical problems. I would press the gas, the engine would rev, but only a small portion of that energy actually made it to the driveshaft. Holding my breath, we limped along on back roads for almost an hour before finding an auto garage and hearing that our transmission was a goner.
Do you ever feel like you’ve lost your thrust in life? Like your engine is spinning fast and loud, but somehow it’s not translating into actual forward movement?
Over the years, many have put names to this sense of life force. Jung called it the animus; Freud called it libido (of course). The ancient Chinese called it yang (in contrast to yin). Today we might call it agency or simply power. One personality assessment calls it thrust—an apt label.
But the mystics of every age and spiritual tradition have had another name for it; they call it God.
Jesus also had a name for this divine force woven into the human soul; he called it eternal life. Interestingly, the Greek word for eternal, αἰώνιος, could better be translated ageless or expansive. Scholars say that the word “does not focus on the future per se, but rather on the quality of the age it relates to.” In the epigraph, Keating called it the pure light of the image and likeness of God within. The late twentieth century Jesuit priest and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin called it Christogenesis, the creative force of divinity expanding throughout creation.
This is not just a theological or theoretical inquiry for me; it feels deeply personal and relates back to last night’s dream. My internal “engine” spins quite fast most of the time, despite my more placid, contemplative outer disposition: Ideas, possibilities, and plans churn in creative tension that don’t always make it to the pavement via my “drivetrain.” Sometimes this feels like a crisis of productivity; other times it feels like a crisis of spirituality. My sacred thrust is sputtering.
You may or may not experience the presence and lack of thrust exactly like I do, but I am certain that it is part of your physic engineering. Thrust is hardwired into all of us and emanates from the divine image implanted in us. You see this in people around you: Whether overtly spiritual or not, some folks instinctively translate their inner thrust into outward movement very efficiently, while others just spin or seem to have lost their pulse entirely.
Which makes productivity a spiritual matter.
I hasten to add that “spiritual productivity” is an entirely different animal from commercial productivity. My first book Soul Space explored the cost of wasting our energy upon the gerbil wheel of frantic activity—even and especially in the name of God. No, spiritual thrust originates from a different place than ambition, effects more potent and less visible outcomes, and is measured by entirely different means than flow charts and financial statements.
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about New Year’s resolutions. Here’s a clip: “To be resolved is to catalyze alignment and convergence among divine vision, unshakeable conviction, and authentic agency. Can you see how divinity and humanity meet here for good and powerful purpose?” As we continue to ponder how the effervescent life of God is meant to land within our humanity, keep it personal. How is this catalytic force landing in your soul today?
growing your soul
Talk to God (and maybe a trusted friend) about how your sacred thrust is working these days.
serving our world
How is this expansive life of God leading you in the service of others?
takeaway
In Him you move.