“Christ emptied himself.” Phil. 2:7
A Haiku for Pentecost
Cleanse me from myself Wind fills the clearest vessel Yet leaves it empty
I wrote the above haiku inspired by a discussion I had with my friend, Erik Young, (whose Substack I recommend) back when I was a hospital chaplain. He was reflecting on the notion of emptiness as a necessary component of hospital chaplaincy. He said that entering into a situation where a person has just lost their loved one, full of our own knowledge of how to make things better is not helpful. The best thing one can do in those situations, says Erik, is to be empty.
I like haiku poetry because they have a way of creating silence and emptying out the clutter of our mind. The haiku poem becomes a metaphor for our need for space in our soul.
Christ emptied himself in order to receive us into himself and heal our brokenness. I am supposed to be one who represents Jesus on the earth. My human tendency, however, is to enter into human brokenness full of knowledge, ideas and ways to fix the problem or make a situation better by my own strength. What people need in situations of brokenness, is a place to deposit their pain, fear, grief or confusion.
We often speak of Jesus taking on all these things for us, and that is true. And yet, in a very real way Christ has called you and I, as his representatives on earth to be a vessel that is shaped like him. The problem is that I am too full of myself. I have needs of my own. I have issues that keep me from being that Christ-shaped vessel. That is why Christ baptizes us with his Holy Spirit. He came in the form of wind and fire in order to sculpt our inner lives into empty, receptive vessels that are able to receive the brokenness of others.
Prayer
Lord fill me with your Spirit in order to clear out the clutter of self and create a space where broken people can find healing for their souls.