The Divine in the Ordinary by Chrissy Dart

“The divine is in the ordinary.”  

I cannot remember who drilled this statement into my psyche, but it resurfaced while thinking about defining what exactly is a “Sacred Story.”  The divine is in the ordinary.  I like that statement.  Can I live my day with an openness to see the divine in the ordinary?  What might that day look like?  What if I live my day denying the divine in the ordinary?  

This is where the myriad of stories that express the divine in the ordinary step in. For example, in the Sufi story, “The Mullah Feeds his Coat,” the Mullah tackles (among many subjects) the subject of appearances.  The Mullah is invited to a party.  He arrives not wearing the “right” clothes.  The people at the party are rude to him.  

He goes home and changes into beautiful designer clothes featured in the most current GQ magazine. He returns to the party and oh…People rush up to shake his hand and usher him into the celebration.  They let him go through the banquet line first. Now the Mullah loves all that food, but instead of eating it himself, he begins to stuff the food into his coat—the pockets, the sleeves, the chest pockets. The party goers are dumbfounded, shocked, offended. They ask what he is doing.   The Mullah calmly states, “When I first came to this feast no one would speak to me because of my clothes.  Then when I changed into designer clothes, suddenly I was treated like a movie star. So I fed my coat.”

Through humor, the Mullah shows the absurdity of treating a person politely based on designer clothes – on appearances and material wealth that fade away. The Mullah shows us how people treat each other when they do not recognize the divine in the ordinary. 

Comments

[Genevieve]

I was struck by Chrissy's idea that "the divine is in the ordinary." Creativity is a profoundly divine act. When we create a story we consecrate the events, elevating them and giving them importance. Great stories are often dedicated to making the world a better place. They help people see "the divine in the ordinary," becoming aware that everything is holy and that it is our stories that give things meaning. I appreciated the story that was included in this blog and the way that Chrissy caused me to stop and think about the relationships between creativity, divinity, consecration, and holiness.

[Elizabeth Wunsch]

Excellent post Chrissy. When we let go of the exterior and look into the eyes of a being we surpass the ordinary and witness the divine.

[Nancy Wolter]

What a wonderful story that makes one laugh at how silly we can be to worship the exterior when the truth of ourselves, our divinity, is always interior.Just like you to find a way to illustrate a simple truth.

Nancy Wolter

[LlisRalley]

I love that Mullah story too. My mother used to be so irritated at church goers who got all dressed up to go to church on Sunday but ignored the needs of their neighbors all week. The divine is in our actions, not our clothing...

[Myranette Robinson]

The divine is in the ordinary!! I see this in the blessings of things we may take for granted: waking up,walking and your heart beating. Thank you for reminding us that life itself is a miracle!