Spiritual Awareness?
I went along to one of County Antrim's PL Training Conferences in the early 1980's held at Coreymeela, Ballycastle. One of the afternoon sessions was to present the new Scout Section Progressive Award Scheme - new badges like ...Scout Award, Pathfinder Award, Explorer Award. In front of about 60 odd PLs the ACC was fielding a 'question and answer' session on the new badges. Then out of the blue one PL asked, " What is Spiritual Awareness?". The ACC struggled with an answer. I sat in the safety of the back of the hall and pondered how I would answer such a question.
I formed a mental picture of a huge, hot, dry barren wasteland. In the distance was a high wall stretching as far as the eye can see. There was one small gate in the wall, half open with a Man beckoning to come through the gate. Beyond the gate was a wonderful garden - lush and green and fragrant.
'Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."' - John 10 v 7-10
John Bunyan
Just then he saw two men come over the wall a little behind him. They walked fast and caught up with him. One was named Formality, the other Hypocrisy.
Christian: Gentlemen, where are you from and where are you going?
They said that they were from the town of Vainglory and were going to Mount Zion.
Christian: Why did you not come in at the gate at the beginning of the way? You know it is written in the book by the Builder of the road: 'The man who does not enter ... by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.'
They told him that to go to the gate from where they lived was considered too far by all and that the usual way was to take a short cut and climb over the wall, as they had done.
Christian: But will it not be counted a trespass and a violation of instructions by the Lord of the city where you are going?
They said he need not trouble his head about that, for they had a long-standing custom where they lived to guide them in their practice, and they could produce plenty of testimony of its practicality over a period of more than a thousand years.
Christian: But will it stand the final test?
They thought so ... 'We are in the same way you are in. What does it matter how we got in? If we are in, we are in. In what way is your position better than ours?'
Christian: I walk by the rule of the Lord of the way; you follow your own fancy: the crude invention of uninspired men. You are called thieves already by the Lord of the way. Therefore I doubt that you will be found true men at the end. You came in by yourselves without his instructions, and you shall go out by yourselves without his mercy.
Spiritual Awareness ...is... A journey, then an entrance, then another wonderful journey.
