Spanda

The spirit hovered over the face of the deep. Tehom. We are quick to interpret the tehom as chaos. That's how we usually hear it. I think it was quite the opposite, though. The deep was not a chaotic mess that needed to be fixed and put into some semblance of order. The deep was possibility. The spirit did not merely hover over the deep, but I much prefer the translation, vibrated over the face of the deep. This aligns it much better with the universal understanding of creation.

So let's look at the verse again. What if we read it like this?: The spirit vibrated over the face of infinite possibility. In Sanskrit, this vibration is called spanda. It is the moment at sunrise just before the sun stretches over the horizon. It is the space between the inhale and the exhale. It is the nanosecond in which possibility becomes reality. It is the precise moment of birth into existence.

Within each and every one of us lies both the tehom and the spanda. We are a microcosm of creation as the story is not only told again and again, but actually lived on a daily basis. We have a sense of call, and as pastors, this is to some form of ministry. But what is it specifically? Is there only one thing that we could be invited to by God as a vocation? Is there a mandate that we must follow what particular path that has been set before us? I would say no.

In every given situation, there are multiple choices that result in infinite realities. Endless possibilities, that, once chosen and acted upon, result in different outcomes.

We often ask ourselves or God what it is that we have been called to. Sometimes we get the what, but not the where or the how. I believe that the vibration that is within us - the vibration of the universe, God, all that is - is waiting to birth a new reality in our lives.

I like the definition of vocation that, like Buechner's, considers the path, gifts, and passions of the individual, coupled with the particular needs of the context. Whether you are serving a large church in Chicago or a small country congregation in Wyoming, a calling from within awaits you. Look inside and discover what it is.