This work is a review of the work of Metropolitan Philip and Father Joseph Allen entitled "Meditation on the Incarnation". This book is a series of meditations presented in two parts that provides the means for reflective and deep meditation on the relationship with God. Also noted in these meditations are the challenges to deep committed time in God's presence.
Spirituality
Following reading the work entitled "Meeting the Incarnate God" this work will explain how the spiritual life, as proposed in this text has meaning for everyday Christian living.
The work entitled "Meeting the Incarnate God: From the Human Depth to the Mystery of Fidelity" was published in 2009 by the Holy Cross Orthodox Press. This work was written by Metropolitan Phillip and Father Joseph Allen. Metropolitan Phillip writes "
Lord, What shall I offer you at your Incarnation in return for your infinite love… Lord, You have been knocking on my door for many years, but I never dared to let you in because my garment is not white as snow… Lord, the only thing I can offer you at your Incarnation is myself… (Meditation on the Incarnation by Metropolitan Phillip)
The excerpts from a poem by Philip on Christ' Incarnation was the beginning of the reflective meditations that Metropolitan Philip and Father Joseph Allen wrote together for the purpose of capturing and communicating "the great theological concepts of the Christian East in a mode that every person rather than only theologians can understand." (2009 cited in Hester, 20312, p.31)
I. Focus of the Meditations
The meditations contained in Philip and Allen's work have as their focus the presence of God and the gift that this presence is in the life and actions of mankind and focuses as well on man's need to be close to God and to be responsive to God. The first part of the reflections have as their focus on the "inner depths of the human person as the potential and the way to come to meet the living God who dwells within us." (Hester, 2012, p.31) Each individual has been created in the grace of God and through this grace, when the individual surrenders to God the individual is able to experience the indwelling presence of God. This involves the individual emptying themselves representative of when Jesus said "Sell it; if you would follow me, sell it. One resists selling it when he is enslaved to it…" (Phillip and Allen, 2009 cited in Hester, 2012, p.31)
II. Surrender and Disclosure -- Emptiness and Unity
The meditations entitled "Surrender and Disclosure" and "Emptiness and Unity" involves the presentation of the challenges of surrendering oneself and presents a challenge to the fulfillment of self-surrender "in the acceptance of the other, and to receiving the gift of life in Christ." (cited in Hester, 2012, p.31)
II. Jesus
In the last meditation in the first part of the work of Philip and Allen entitled "Jesus" a powerful description of the encountering of Christ residing in our depths is presented and how it is necessary to "experience like the child and the poet." (cited in Hester, 2012, p.31) Examined in this meditation is the meaning of coming into the presence of the Lord in "childlike and poetic ways." (cited in Hester, 2012, p.31) This reflection serves to bind the two words cohesively through reminiscing that a "child is a poet who has not been taught." (cited in Hester, 2012, p.31) Additionally stated is a poet "is a child who has not been spoiled." (Hester, 2012, p.31) This meditation reflects on how the individual must be both childlike and poetic to experience Christ incarnate in their experience of living.
III. The Mystery of Fidelity
The second collection of reflections in the work of Philip and Allen is entitled "The Mystery of Fidelity" examines the "human connection and the call to faithfulness to the other -- to our fellow human beings, our earth, our community and ultimately to God" which serves to lead the individual in their response to God and in God's call to mankind to search for and find Him as He awaits the answer to the call that He has sent out. These meditations contained in this part of Philip and Allen's work demonstrates the ways that all of God's creations are interconnected in the life of the individual, their sisters and brothers, and in the community and world.
IV. Violence
The opening meditation in the second part of Philip and Allen's work is entitled "Violence'. The challenge presented in this reflection is given to the individual of faith and instructs them to "do violence to his own heart is he will become faithful to God and his fellow." (Hester, 2012, p.31) the focus of this reflection is on the necessity to "endure separation, fear, lack of comfort, abandonment, betrayal, and freely chosen poverty to become faithful to God and our fellowman. In all of this we come to experience the mystery of the truth that, as the final reflection notes, "fidelity to God is one such response to his love." (Hester, 2012, p.31) God waits for the individual "to return, to be healed…Entering the mystery of fidelity as we discovery God." (Hester, 2012, p.31)
Summary and Conclusion
The work of Philip and Allen, is one that comes from reflection and that makes a requirement that the reader is committed to reflecting quietly. According to Very Rev. Fr. David Hester, pastor of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church, Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania, the work of Philip and Allen is should that should "be read in silent, soul-filled moments to allow the depths of the words of each meditation to touch the heart and to fill the mind with an ever greater love for the Lord who can to us in his Incarnation in the flesh." (Hester, 2012, p.31)
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