The Unseen Life: Part 14

​“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Rev 3:20). These mystical words spoken by Jesus, and quoted in the Book of Revelation by the Apostle John, possess an intriguing quality of God’s desire for a direct and intimate relationship with the human individual. It implies that our God is a Seeker and He incessantly initiates these exploratory moves in attempting to reach out to us. The metaphor used (viz., to eat), implies a human activity, which in Middle Eastern culture, speaks of a trusting and equal relationship; one that celebrates hospitality and generosity. Perhaps His premeditated insight and subsequent conversation with Nathanael (John 1: 46 – 50) provides us with some inkling of His approach with us. It invariably involves Nathanael’s guilelessness and open-hearted predisposition as a spiritual seeker, with a childlike willingness desiring to hear and discern what God had to say to him. This is always followed by a trusting responsiveness to God’s initiative which will open the ‘door of our heart’ to His transforming power. We call this orientation process the grace of faith; where grace is the power that God gives to the person to exercise his faith in self-surrender to Him (c.f., Deut 6: 4 – 5; Deut 13: 1 - 4). 
 
Although I had heard the above Scriptural verse from the Book of Revelation many times during my early teen years, my self-serving individualistic attitude precluded me from its application. While in the UK, God finally got my attention as I sought to grasp the complex reality of an indifferent academic pursuit in the midst of an awakening spiritual journey. One day when my frustrations towards an apparently apathetic God in the midst of a distressed world spilled over, I thought aloud in challenging His silence and relevance. But before I could complete my sentence, a sudden overwhelming sense of peace filled me. For a minute or two, I remained transfixed in awe, savouring this otherworldly peace ‘that passes understanding’ (Phil 4: 7). God’s astonishing signature peace launched me into my search for its Originator! 
 
Two weeks later, as I took a different route home after work, my eyes caught the setting sun's rays reflecting off a brass plaque across the street. The signage read “London Healing Mission, the Office of the Anglican’s Ministry of Healing.” My inquisitiveness piqued as I was concurrently exploring several avenues on relating to God. A mental note was made on the Mission’s weekly Friday evening service.
 
Friday arrived. The moment I stepped onto the threshold of the Mission’s basement entrance, where the service was to be held, that irrepressible peace hit me. I stood still for a moment and wondered about its significance in this place. Comfortably seated at the back of the small room, I watched the proceedings with some interest; the singing and an exposition of the above passage by the Rev. Roy Jeremiah, the vicar-in-charge. When the service ended, I immediately slipped out and disappeared into the night. 
 
The following Friday, drawn by the mysterious “abiding peace,” I returned to explore again! The service over, Rev. Jeremiah immediately stood in my way and introduced himself. We spent the next three hours traversing my belief system in his office. After considering the claims of Christ, I thought to myself, “Surely, there isn’t any real harm ‘to invite Jesus to abide in my heart!’ If there is anything of substance in that invitation, then it would be an interesting outcome to explore further. But if it was just an ‘empty commitment,’ I really have nothing to lose. I would just continue on with my search for God.” 
 
Praying after the vicar, I proceeded to figuratively ‘open the door of my heart’ to Jesus. But before I could conclude with an “Amen,” I found myself caught-up in the strangest of sensations: as if I was in the process of being ‘internally’ emptied and refilled! When I opened my eyes, it was as though I was looking through a new pair of eyes; the room I was in and Rev. Jeremiah looked different. I said to him, “ You look different from a moment ago!” He laughed, “That’s what the new birth looks like for some.” The joy (which could not have been manufactured by me) was inexpressible, accompanied by an irrepressible desire to read the Bible. It was close to midnight by the time I left the Mission’s office.
 
That was the beginning of my reciprocal journey with God. Ten days later, in Glasgow, Scotland, I encountered my first malevolent spiritual entity. (The latter’s narrative is the first of “The Unseen Life” series on 5 February 2024).