Metis.
If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.
~ Gnostic Gospel of St. Thomas.
Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
~ Mark 13:11
advent, 2 - peace.
This week’s post comes from Kellie Daley, executive collaborator, muse, and resident mystic at The Vining Center!
As we enter into this second week of extraordinary time, think liminal space—a threshold of new beginnings, the arising of a new era. As we hold space for Advent in the second week, let us look to the message of Peace. There are many biblical messages about the kind of peace we long for—a time when there is no more war, in our world or in our hearts, a time when the lion lies down with the lamb. And then there is an entirely different kind of peace that is not external at all but entirely internal.
This mystical peace is a way of being that is characterized by effortless action, or what the ancients called Metis—the convergence of being still and knowing what needs to happen at the very moment it needs to happen. This spiritual discernment or shrewdness opens the door to compassionate action that restores wholeness where wholeness is at risk of being broken. Doesn’t that sound amazing? The question is, How do we access this Metis, this effortless action born out of mystical peace?
Let’s pause for a moment to immerse ourselves in the profound narrative of Jesus’ birth… We find ourselves in a quiet village called Nazareth where Mary sits in her room noticing the golden rays of sun outside her window. All of a sudden, there is a much more brilliant light filling her room and a commanding voice speaking words she doesn’t understand. “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God”… a Metis Moment if there ever was one! We read it every Christmas season, but do we really see what is happening underneath the angelic visitation?
For reasons we may never know, young Mary was chosen as the earthly mother of Jesus. What compelled her to be so grounded in such a startling encounter? How could she ask such a pertinent question (“How will this be?”) with so much faith and humility? Is this what happens when a messenger from the Most High shows up in your life—wonder and gratitude?
Apparently not every time. If you contrast Mary’s story with the story of Zechariah, the Levite who had spent his entire life preparing for the priesthood—hours studying the scriptures, hours learning the rituals of the temple, hours praying to God Almighty—and yet, when the Holy One brings him a message, he is disabled by fear and unbelief. Who had he been worshipping all that time that God now appears to him as a stranger?
We all know that childlikeness is essential to humility, surrender, and hope… and we also know how hard it can be to cultivate and embody this precious quality. But this quality of heart is a spiritual practice that we cannot relinquish to the darkness of this world. One of the most profound and yet simple ways to nurture your childlikeness is through awareness.
We have spoken often about the three different centers of Soul—head, heart and body—and how vital it is to be working in harmony with all three. When we get caught up in our heads, we overthink things and actually shut down the profound emotional intelligence given to us. When we ignore the messages that our body sends us throughout our day, we reduce our bodies to a mere container and waste its insights for the given situation.
Another word you could use for this practice is consciousness. I know we all think that we are innately conscious every day of our lives, but this is not true; most of us walk this world essentially asleep, unaware of the multitude of opportunities we have to show up as our real self. Self-awareness is the beginning of three-centered awareness. The beginning of Metis.
Three-centered awareness is not hard, but it takes practice, everyday practice, to strengthen the core of your being. The practice is to simply ask your mind, heart, and body to talk to one another… and then listen. The best way to listen is in silence (and spending 20 minutes a day is magical), but it can also be done while you are driving or waiting in line, even before you fall asleep at night. When the experience of living and working from this balanced awareness is tasted—even fleetingly—something miraculous happens. The entire body is filled with a vital and harmonizing energy, and this is the vehicle for Metis.
This week key an eye out for divine Metis! Who knows how it will show up… if you’re paying attention.
growing your soul
Practice your three-centered awareness this week… both in a brief time of silence at the beginning of your day as well as when you’re “wasting time” in line.
serving our world
Expect the “effortless action” that Metis brings to lead you into compassionate care for someone!
takeaway
Listen… and Act.