Whenever I stumble through life and walk away from a person who I consider a “real saint” (ie. a person who seems to regularly encounter the living God and our world is profoundly better because of it) it always messes with my head. At first glance these “saints” don’t have haloes or angelic choruses “ahhing” every time they enter a room, they seem to face many of the same frustrations that we all face (filling out tax forms, insurance papers, headaches, and dead car batteries), and I have a sneaking impression that they cuss under their breath when they miss the nail and hit their thumb. So in fact, I wonder how many “real saints” I walk by every day. It seems a rarity that I have the experience of hanging out with a Saint - but it may be due to my not getting past “first glances” (but that is not the topic of this post!).

Anyway first glances can be deceiving. For what I don’t see on first glance, and what really has me shaking my head and wondering, “Are they an Angel?” is bumping first person into the richness of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 6) in flesh and blood. When we spend time with such a saint we enjoy the luxury of spending time with a person who has turned theology into biography, who lives out, in most moments, the fullness of life to the glory of God, and who unselfishly loves their neighbor. When I am fortunate to encounter such holy ones I often wonder, what are the differences - between me and thee? (Verily, verily King James just seems right in such “holy” musings).

I think much of the difference stems from our disconnect between theology and spirituality. Put another way - we focus on self and our experience over God and His great work. Too often when I approach God and (especially the Bible) I am focused on what can I learn and what can I “glean” from this reading to put into practice (to win over the blessing of God/or impress my neighbor?!). Is that a bad thing (not all bad I guess), but there is a different approach that I think the “more saintly” among us take. For them God is not an object to study (and master) nor an Other to appease or “win over;” for those saints among us, God is at work among us and worthy of our contemplation (or being with and join with). While the result of such an approach is counter-intuitive Herbert McCabe explains it this way, “not like an increase in knowledge, but if anything, an increase in ignorance. We become more acutely aware of our inadequacy before the mystery as we are brought closer to it. So it is God’s initiative that is needed. Not that we should speak more about him, but that he should speak to us.” (from God Matters, p. 29) Saints are humble enough to let God be God… to yield to the voice, heart, will and way of the One who has made us. From this place these “holy ones” begin to bring forth the Fruit that can only spring from the Spirit of God.

Truth comes to us - not from our interrogation, but by that which interrogates us. “The greatness of the Christian saint lies in their readiness to be questioned, judged, stripped naked and left speechless by that which lies at the center of their faith.” (Rowan Williams, The Wound of Knowledge, p. 17) The saints among us are those who come to us in the same manner that they approach Almighty God - open, honest, transparent and with humility. That reminds me of something Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit… for they shall be filled”