Coracle Trust E-Reflections
Lent: Simeon, receptivity with patience
Monday 28 March 2011
Man must see his dignity not only in being a point of activity in the world but also in being a point of receptivity: not only in his potential for 'doing' but also in his exposure in 'being done to'. W H Vanstone, The stature of waiting
Simeon, Rembrandt
“In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him”. Luke 2:25
Receiving life and receiving death
I confess at the start: Simeon is one of my heroes. When I did a vision quest in the USA a few years ago, he was one of my spirit guides. He only has a walk-on role but, again, time stops. I experience him as a man deeply present to himself in God, content to live a hidden life, knowing what he knows and carrying it lightly. In receiving the Holy Spirit, in receiving God, and being received by God, at some deep level, he has also received himself. And so he can let himself go: “Master, let your servant go in peace as you promised”. I’ve lived, I’ve seen your promises fulfilled, I can go now. Receiving life and receiving death. What a gift. Gus MacLeod