The Lifter
I am guessing the post with the triangle in my photo is a tide-marker but to me, it looked like an arrow pointing up, telling me to lift my head.
What happens if your head drops? Eventually you get sore because we aren’t designed to live looking down. That’s why physios regularly treat “tech neck” caused by too much time on our phones.
Similarly, in spiritual terms, we aren’t designed to live looking down. Augustine described sin as being curved in on ourselves. It’s great our culture promotes self-care but I know sometimes I get overly preoccupied with myself, instead of lifting my gaze to Jesus.
Father Hayden Williams is a deeply prayerful Capuchin friar, who spends two weeks every month in solitude, prayer and fasting. Risking his life, he chose during Covid to be locked in a Maltese prison because visits were suspended. For love, he chose literal lockdown. When I heard that, I thought that this man is worth listening to. So, I was taken aback when something he said jarred - “Feelings are the enemy of prayer”. I tried to dismiss it but a week later, I stumbled on Eugene Petersen saying that feelings are the scourge of prayer.
What does this mean - should we restiffen the upper lip and squash emotion? Definitely not. Eugene explains that the great spiritual giants unashamedly expressed their feelings but were not dominated by them. They poured out their hearts to God, but God was the focus not their feelings. They didn’t judge a prayer time by whether it made them feel better. As Father Haydon urged, they sought the God of consolation not the consolations of God.
Wise words for me because my feelings are an unreliable compass that swings wildly based on factors as trivial as my morning latte.
God is calling us to lift our heads away from ourselves to gaze on him. But don’t miss this encouragement – we don’t have to do this alone. When heaviness weighs me down, God draws near, oh so tenderly, to cup my face and lift my head.
“You are the lifter of my head.” Psalm 3:3
When I saw that arrow, I looked up and saw light break through the clouds, scattering glory on the water. Look up, the veil has been torn and heaven is open!
May you know the Lord lift your head today!
