Richard Rohr describes how we can demystify the word mysticism:
The meaning of the word mysticism needs to be clarified. The word has been used in so many different ways that it tends to lead to mystification. As its Greek root form mu (closed eyes or lips) implies, mysticism is pointing to something that is somehow hidden and cannot be easily seen or talked about. A mystic reveals that which is hidden to most of us, yet it is almost invariably what we also hope and imagine to be true. It seems reality, at its hidden and deepest levels, is always very good—better than most of us can imagine!
I use the word mysticism in a very traditional and classic sense. It’s not to indicate something esoteric and widely unavailable to ordinary people. It does, however, point to something that is only available to individuals who go beyond the surface and exterior, those who experience the inner grace and connectivity of all things. As Jesus, Paul, and Bonaventure each said in their own way, mysticism is often foolishness to the educated and obvious to the simple.
I emphasize connectivity because that is the unteachable gift I always see in true mystics. This is what makes them different from other people. It’s also a quality that makes them seem rare. Mystics know and enjoy the connected core of reality that is hidden to those who neither desire it nor search for it. “What you seek is what you get” (see Matthew 7:7–8). Joy is also intrinsic to mysticism. When deep joy is not present in our lives, we might well be “religious,” but we’re definitely not mystics.
Ironically, authentic mystics would be the first to say that they didn’t seek this intuition at all. What seems secret to the rest of us is somehow both totally given and utterly apparent to them. They could not seek it because they did not know it was missing in the first place! However, reading the lives of mystics can reveal whether some enlightened seeking came first, or some unmerited giving came first. All we know, and all they know, is that they are inside of an immense and wonderful secret, which seems to be hidden from or denied by most of the rest of us.
Mystics look out from different eyes that see the grace in all things and the deep connection between all things. Less mature mystics may recognize the connection between some or most things (for example, people who can only see the inner connection between other Christians and cannot extend that to outsiders or “sinners” as Jesus did). There are a lot of “mini mystics” floating around, but they’re often problematic because half of the truth can often be foolishly mistaken for the full truth.
Reference:
Adapted from Richard Rohr, “Franciscan Mysticism: A Cosmic Vision,” Radical Grace 25, no. 1 (2012): 12.
Image credit and inspiration: Alexander Klarmann, Untitled (detail), 2017, photo, Unsplash. Click here to enlarge image. The leaf can be a doorway into being with what is, experiencing the ineffable and intangible nature of the Great Mystery.
Story from Our Community:
I’m grateful for Dr. B’s teachings which have allowed me to accept my own mystical insights. Over the years, I have experienced many sights, events, and sounds that have felt beyond this everyday world and infused with profound truth. I have cherished the intense beauty of morning’s first light, the momentary flames of a winter sunset, and the aurora borealis hinting at the power of God. I have seen great tenderness shown by those hurt by life. I find these moments to be powerful reminders of our Creator’s constant involvement in everyday life.
—Mimi G.
