Taking Darshan

 

One of the lovely things about summer is the long uncharted days when duty doesn’t call so loudly and it’s possible to slip away to a sunny spot with a good book.   I am particularly interested in biographies and find writer’s own autobiographies to be a real treat, because they are so well written!  A British author, Rumer Godden, caught my attention earlier this year when I read her London based story, An Episode of Sparrows, aloud  with Rachel.  I went on to thoroughly enjoy her short somewhat autobiographical fiction, The River. It is set in India where she grew up, the child of British parents.  Rumer’s evident love for the natural beauty of India and her respect for its people gave me a whole new appreciation for this place I mostly think of as squalid, wicked and needy.  It also peeked my interest in the autobiography of her childhood and early years of motherhood there—A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep, which became one of my summer reading projects.  I’ve been ruminating on a tidbit from this book lately, a remark about the Hindu practice of ‘darshan’.  See if it reminds you of something as it did me ( :

‘Indians have a custom of taking ‘darshan’’ of significant holy places or revered people or even a renowned view such as the Himalayan snow peaks which means ‘they will travel miles, make pilgrimages simply to take ‘darshan’ of that person or place, not trying to make contact or speak—certainly not taking photographs as we do—but, simply by looking, to let a little of the personality, sainthood, holiness or beauty, come into their souls. They go away, usually without speaking and so keep it for the rest of their lives.’ (p.100)

Is it just me, or do you hear Paul echoing:
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another”(2Cor.3:18).
I love this concept-- transformed from who I seem to be to who He is—from glory to glory—till He is seen in me. (My family could get excited about this too I think!).

One catch in this gazing with reverence though… the object of our awe is Himself invisible!  Not like a mountain or a Ghandi or a molten image, but invisible.  Where do I look?!  Now, to a point there is something of God to be seen in His creation.  I can sit quietly beside Powell Lake for instance hearing the lap of rippling water, looking and listening to know and be known… Last week I could be found nestled on a mossy seat up  the side of Scout Mountain looking out to the horizon through sinuous arbutus branches and fir boughs feeling the

Fresh breeze of fall
Intoxicating rush
A Lover’s gift
Wrapped round with Son…

God was there, this custom gift of a beautiful moment clearly communicated to my soul through His creation.  Is this what it means to behold His glory?  How do we ‘fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith?’

I ran into a couple tourism ads lately, one of which is now stuck to the front of my new Teacher Notebook.  It depicts a serene lakeside view stretching off to a horizon strung with clouds of sunset hue and in the center of the picture the words:   " Come as YOU ARE
                   LEAVE a changed person. "

Oh, so even our culture recognizes the virtue of solitude and silence in the midst of God’s creation…

Or how about this one:

   ‘In UTAH you will discover…a part of yourself you never knew existed.
    Your life is Changed.
    You are Elevated!’

Wow, so maybe we have this concept of ‘darshan’ too?

But there’s got to be more to it.  There are rumblings in the Church nowadays to go back to some neglected practices—things like solitude and silence—and I’ve been hearing some anxious feedback that this stuff could be dangerous…So when are these practices ‘safe’ and even productive for the genuine God-follower?  What would a Christian version of ‘darshan’—a gazing with awe and being transformed in the process—look like?

This transformation is clearly our destiny:
“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers.  And those whom He predestined He also called…justified…(and) glorified!” Romans 8:29

And the process is clearly His work, even if it will not be perfected until we see Him at His coming:
“When He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” I Jn.3:2

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face…” I Cor.13:12

So in the meantime?  What’s our stance to be?

I guess it starts with looking UP—setting our minds on things above, where Christ is (Col.3:1).  No mention here of navel-gazing to see if I’m measuring up. Hmm… this is a hurdle for me.

It’s also about learning to set our hope on what is unseen, ‘waiting for it with patience’, rather than all the stuff we can see (Rom.8:25).  Next time I say, “I sure hope…” maybe I better listen in on my heart and get it in for a Tune-up!

Gazing in awe at the Unseen One has everything to do with walking by faith, not sight, keeping step with the Spirit—listening for His prompts, walking with my mind set on His business (Rom.8:5). 

For me that’ll include lots of quiet times in God’s creation with His Word at hand ‘cause that’s how I hear His whispers best.   In these moments I learn to tune into things above and let go of my preoccupation with external cares and internal woes. 

But somehow it’s also got to mean keeping an eye God-ward in the nitty-gritty of my day:
--believing God’s at work in every little thing and refusing to be discouraged.
--praying without ceasing when groaning seems more natural.
--and smiling a whole lot more, as if God truly were a very present help and His joy my strength!

Every day can be full of ‘darshan’ moments as I gaze at what’s before me through His eyes—a holy thing meant for my transformation. And could it be God gazes back with a Father’s delight in His eyes at the prospect of what this eager bumbling child is becoming, all because of His love?  I hope so ( :

Thanks for ruminating along with me. I’d love to hear your thoughts…

--Linda