The Paradox of the Void

The void that beckons me forward

Photo by Daniel Burka on Unsplash

Dear reader,

Stick with me as I tell you a story. It’s about an experience that is hard to put into words but has a hard but profound place for me at the moment.

In my journey of faith I have had a small number of what I would describe as mystical visions. I don’t often talk about them because such things run the danger of being misunderstood or given too much weight, especially in a sea of grifters who use the language of such things as if they’re easy currency. I always feel very cautious when I talk about these things, hence this article is not freely available as I don’t want it there for all the public to see.

I would like a better term than visions since that makes my experiences sound quite grand when they weren’t. They were images that came to me unbidden and were associated with specific feelings - an invitation into something. They felt like a message. In each case they didn’t last for long, but I can easily call them to mind whenever I want - they left a lasting impression. I’ve had four such experiences.

These have been different from getting promptings or fleeting thoughts that seem to come from somewhere else. They have felt deeper and more concrete. I would definitely attribute them to something beyond myself, hence describing them as mystical visions.

The second one happened early one morning when I was in a disciplined stage of getting up very early and beginning the day with silence, prayer, and scripture.

It was crazy o’clock, so it was dark. I was sitting in my living room in Hamilton.