W10 D4- Half-Half

Let me draw your attention to the vision of St. John who saw New Jerusalem descending out of heaven prepared as a bride. (Rev.21:10) If we are going to be pure spiritual beings would it make any difference to us if the light of the city shone like Jasper stone , clear as crystal? It seems more to me in the fitness of things spirit of His children shall be as one like flame drawn from the pure Being. Of course I speak after the fashion of man.
2.
Any man who denies his carnal nature by some strict regimen daily needs our sympathy. He may be held among some as a saint. For doesn’t he starve himself or punish his body with whips or by wearing hair-shirt that you and I may never dare to do? Yes, these extraordinary methods have a form of holiness. But what such a total preoccupation with your body and its natural needs leave you? Very little for spiritual matters. Spirit is life and hence natural. Outflow of your spiritual life must envelop those who come in daily contact with you. Perhaps something of others may prompt you to reexamine yourself and correct where warranted. In such give and take you are defining your own place in the scheme of things. Being rooted to where you find yourself and having spread out your branches, (be it your family, neighbors, community etc.,) you are like a tree(Ps. 1:3). In daily negotiations with fellowmen you grow and resonate with the piquancy of your own spiritual life.
Spirit of man requires other fellow men for growth.
How spiritual do you think if all your waking hours are taken up wrestling with your body and its appetites? A ’ saint’ by excessive self- indulgence with one’s own self is merely reinforcing his carnality. He shall not give out any sweet savor of fellowship. I can only say he is a misguided fool and deserves our sympathy.
One Talmud scholar renders the shekina glory of the Lord God as female principle. Our middle state is such that we are reduced to resort to human speech and terms in order to explain the deep things of God. If we would make a mumbo-jumbo of holiness of God by certain ‘mysteries’ we ought to know that the pagans also resorted to such forms of worship in order to make a distinction between the sacred and the profane. We make hymns to glorify Him. However if the hymn must sound tuneful it must adhere to the rules of grammar and musical idiom or form which must equally serve Heavy Metal or punk Rock.
In order to be a pure spirit untainted by anything of human corruption is impossible.
benny