Musings

One of the metaphors I have used for life and ministry has to do with breathing. The act of purposeful breathing is something that brings calmness to us, helps us to destress, decrease our heart rate and blood pressure – all important things for me as I age. Yet, also, in that breathing is foundational for living, I also regard breathing as a metaphor for the spiritual life.

I have found that in times of stress I have held my breath, unknowingly. Yet, as I gasp for breath I realize I had been holding my breath – something that cannot be sustained for a long time (though in my scuba diving days, I could hold my breath for almost 3 minutes – but that was quite some time ago). Life is only sustained as we breathe and breathe rhythmically. When we run, work, engage in any activity, going anaerobic is not sustainable – life is best lived when we remain aerobic – continually breathing.

It is such a focus on rhythmic breathing that for me is a metaphor for life, indeed all of life, because I do not really separate life into different categories – such as spiritual and secular life. We are human beings, created to be human and to live humanely. It is essential for us as human beings, in living humanely, living lovingly, compassionately, caringly, that we regard breathing as more than a biological necessity.

For me, breathing in, inhaling, especially when I am mindful of it, is an intentional reminder that I breath in the Spirit of God (or perhaps, it is the Spirit of God breathing into me, into us – see for example, Genesis 2:7 and John 20:21-22). We live life to the fullest when we inhale the Spirit fully into our lives, mindfully realizing we are not merely breathing in air, we are breathing in the Spirit that God breathed into us that gives life to us. To be open to God and to desire God is to intentionally breathe in the Spirit of God. Yet, to hang onto God is not to hold our breath, to somehow keep God in us, to contain God in us, to hang on to God – we will slowly lose consciousness as our body fills with carbon dioxide as our body uses the oxygen that we inhaled. No, breathing is intended to be rhythmic, to be an act of inhaling and exhaling (and as we do breathe in and out, we breathe the name of God – see post Vol 1:1 – God’s Name is an Action!).

So, if inhaling is breathing in the Spirit of God, what is exhaling. I contend, it is not merely the expelling of carbon dioxide, but for me it carries the metaphor of sharing the Spirit among those we are around – in fact, perhaps it is helpful to see this as the act of being compassionate, loving, caring, giving to others – what our humaneness is to exemplify. Breathing out is ministry in which we give ourselves and share the Spirit who gives us life with others – in order to be life-giving to others.

So, in short (I admit I probably could say things more tightly), breathing as a metaphor (but also more than a metaphor) is breathing in the life/the Spirit of God and breathing out this same life to others. We are not meant to hold our breath, but rather we are to breath in the life of God (what some may call the spiritual life), and to breath out the life and love of God to others (what some may call ministry).

So, let us breath rhythmically, with purpose, intentionally being open to God, and intentionally being life-giving to others. This is what makes us humane as human beings. Peace to you.