A Lovely Shade Of Blue: Eat, Pray, Love
...As Christians we must acknowledge that we are not alone in our longing to be close to God. God is loved by Muslims, Hindus and Jews. He is adored by Liz Gilbert and many others like her. When we practice faith in daily life we should allow belief in Christ to be our support, but we mustn't use it to block out non-Christians. There is potentially a lot to be learnt from reading about faith in God outside Christianity. If you are secure in your Christian faith there is no need to avoid non-Christian reading material....
Claire George says that the success of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir Eat, Pray, Love is proof that people are very interested in God.
The commercial success of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir Eat, Pray, Love is proof that people are very interested in God. The recent film adaptation downplays the spiritual aspect of Gilbert's writing and also the fact that she suffered from depression. This is a pity because they are the most interesting parts of her story. If you are a fan of Julia Roberts, rent the DVD. If you want to find out about one woman's journey with God, go to the library.
Gilbert, a writer, was living an outwardly successful life in New York city when she realised she wasn't happy. After a messy divorce and disastrous rebound relationship she decided to spend a year abroad; four months in Italy, four months in India and four months in Indonesia. She funded her journey with an advance payment from her publisher. In Italy Gilbert learnt that she deserved to enjoy herself. At an Ashram in India she discovered how to find peace through Yogic meditation. In Bali she .... well, I don't want to spoil the plot for you.
Gilbert's spiritual journey is very much a reflection of our times. Her family were culturally Christian but she was not a churchgoer. She studied Eastern religion in order to move closer to God, but did not give herself a religious label. In her writing she is tolerant of diverse belief systems and anxious not to offend anyone. There are a lot of people like Gilbert in Britain today.
As Christians we must acknowledge that we are not alone in our longing to be close to God. God is loved by Muslims, Hindus and Jews. He is adored by Liz Gilbert and many others like her. When we practice faith in daily life we should allow belief in Christ to be our support, but we mustn't use it to block out non-Christians. There is potentially a lot to be learnt from reading about faith in God outside Christianity. If you are secure in your Christian faith there is no need to avoid non-Christian reading material.
In 14th-century Norfolk a woman called Margery Kempe went to see the great mystic writer Julian of Norwich. Julian of Norwich told Margery: "The Holy Ghost never impels a thing against charity. And if he did he were against himself, for he is all charity." In her writing Julian of Norwich repeatedly emphasises God's love, his mercy and the joy he takes in human beings. Would a God who is loving, merciful and all charity urge Christians to avoid discourse with non-Christians? It doesn't seem likely.
In 21st-century America, while suffering from deep despair, Liz Gilbert finds a God who is loving, gentle and good humoured. One night she begs God to tell her what to do with her life. A voice in her head says very simply, "go to bed." She learns to talk to God by writing in a notebook, and later in India approaches him through yoga.
The passages about yoga in India were difficult for me to relate to because they were so alien to my experience. I am used to thinking of the Gospels as a pathway to God. For Gilbert the pathway is learning to quieten her mind in order to feel God's presence. I found it useful to read about Gilbert's path because it made me think more clearly about my own. The passages about yoga also reminded me that God is infinite and a mystery. We cannot be dogmatic about how he acts in people's lives. To misquote Hollywood movie The Perfect Storm, the only rule is love.
