A mystic is a person who seeks or experiences direct communion with God or the Divine. Mystics focus on a variety of spiritual experiences such as intuition or alternate states of consciousness to achieve this communion, achieving moments of clarity that go beyond everyday thinking. In the example that follows, I relate a story of a response to a serious situation, a moment of clarity born out of intuition.
Some time ago I was facilitating a small faith sharing group at an Episcopal church. At our last meeting there were seven of us attending and I could see that one young man there for the first time seemed very troubled and disturbed. When it was his time to share he said he was struggling between his extremely rigid Evangelical upbringing and his interest in progressive Christianity. He said the stuggle was just too difficult and he no longer wanted to be in the world. An older female group member turned to him as said Don’t ever forget that you and God share the same DNA. The young man’s face totally changed, from one of anguish to a noticeable calm and peace. I believe the lady who spoke was, for just that one moment, a mystic. I had known her for some time and the response she gave was out-of-character for her. But somehow she achieved momentary communion with God and what she said may have saved the young man’s life.
I think Jesus was a mystic. His profound connection to the Divine allowed him to impart sacred wisdom, heal the sick, reach out to the marginalized and untouchables, and confront the corrupt powers of his day. Not as a god, but as one of the most spirit filled, remarkable men in human history. Just look at his legacy of love, compassion, forgiveness and tenderness. And yet he he could also be a tough guy when the situation called for it. Turning over the tables of the moneychagers in the Temple enraged Rome and the Temple authorities. And he was brutally executed.
There have been many mystics throughout history. I think of Rumi, Teresa of Ávila, Paul of Tarsus, Meister Eckhar, Issac Luria, Israel Baal Shem, Tov. They prioritized personal encounters with the sacred, such as visions, deep meditation, or sudden epiphanies.
Modern-day mystics bridge the gap between ancient spiritual traditions and contemporary life, emphasizing direct communication with the Divine. Unlike historical mystics, contemporary mystics typically operate directly within the modern world, blending deep contemplation with social action, spiritual teaching, or creative art. Some people who come to mind are Richard Rohr, Thea Bowman, Thich Nhat Hanh and Thomas Merton.
Jewsih mysticim, known as Kabbalah, is the tradition within Judaism that seeks to understand the hidden nature of God and the deep connection between the human soul and the Divine. Two popular present day Jewish mystics are Stefa Gold and Rabbi David Aaron.
Eastern mysticism is well represent in practices as Zen Buddhism, an intuitive, non-verbal tradition emphasizing sudden enlightenment through meditation, direct mind-to-mind transmission, and the use of koans to snap the mind out of dualistic thought.
Jesus warned his followers about false prophets, mystics and holy men. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit… Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” Take a good, hard look at some of the heads of state around the world and draw your own conclusions.
I love the saying “angels walk among us.” I would include mystics as well.