In our search for meaning and peace, we may turn to God in different ways. We may follow a ritual, practise meditation or have an object of worship. Across traditions and forms of worship, seekers have long grappled with a common conundrum.
At times, we feel deeply connected. At other times, that connection seems elusive. Sometimes our questions find answers, while at other times, we struggle to see a way forward.
Why does it sometimes feel like a game of hide-and-seek?
Here is a popular parable worth revisiting in such moments.
The Promise
This is the story of Jeeva, a hardworking and deeply religious man. He begins each day with prayer, works hard throughout the day and ends it with a prayer of gratitude.
After many years, a thought arises in his mind: How I wish I could see God!
With this thought, he falls asleep.
In the middle of the night, he hears a voice.
“My dear Jeeva, your prayer has been answered. I will visit you tomorrow.”
Jeeva wakes up, filled with excitement. He begins preparing his home for this special visitor. He cleans the house, prepares a delicious meal and makes everything comfortable for God’s arrival.
The Sweeper
Early the next morning, a sweeper arrives to clean the street. Seeing the door open, she knocks.
“Hello,” she says hesitantly. “It’s quite chilly this morning.”
Jeeva thinks, Perhaps I should offer her a cup of tea.
But then he remembers the preparations awaiting him. I don’t have time for this. I must get everything ready for God.
He turns and hurries back inside.
The Young Mother
A few hours later, a young mother arrives at his door, carrying a baby.
“My baby is hungry. Do you have some milk?” she asks.
Jeeva grows anxious. Another interruption might delay his long-awaited meeting with God.
“I am expecting a visitor. Could you please come back another time?” he says, turning her away.
As the hours pass, the meal remains untouched. Jeeva keeps his eyes fixed on the door, waiting for God to arrive.
But there is still no sign of the visitor.
The Old Man
After sunset, an old man arrives at the door.
“Do you have a blanket I could use? The nights are getting colder, and my bones ache,” he says.
By now, Jeeva is growing increasingly frustrated. Why does someone keep arriving just when he is expecting God?
He gestures for the old man to move on and returns to his vigil.
Jeeva’s Protest
Hours pass. It is time for bed, but God has still not arrived.
Heartbroken, Jeeva cries out, “I waited for you all day! Why did you let me down? You promised you would visit me today.”
Exhausted, he falls asleep on his mat. Once again, he hears the same voice.
“Jeeva, I kept my promise. I came to your home three times today, but each time, you turned me away. The sweeper, the mother with her baby and the old man — that was me.
“You were waiting to see God in the clouds, while I was standing right in front of you.”
Wisdom for Living
Many wisdom traditions remind us that the Divine pervades all of life. Yet, we often hold on tightly to our ideas of how things should unfold. When life takes an unexpected turn, we may feel disappointed, question what is happening or lose our peace.
Perhaps the very things we label as interruptions are invitations to see life differently.
C. S. Lewis expresses a similar thought:
“The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life — the life God is sending one day by day.”
Unexpected changes, unplanned encounters and even setbacks can sometimes become opportunities for self-discovery, unexpected protection or a new direction in life.
But how do we learn to recognise what life is offering us? How do we develop the eyes to see what might otherwise remain unseen?
The Guru Granth Sahib offers a way to understand this difficulty and points towards how we may learn to recognise the Beloved.
दिसै सुणीऐ जाणीऐ
The Divine is seen, heard and known (through His creation).
साउ न पाइआ जाइ ॥
And yet we do not relish the experience
रुहला टुँडा अंधुला
without feet, hands or eyes
किउ गलि लगै धाइ ॥
How can one run to embrace the Beloved?
What are the feet, hands and eyes that Jeeva needs for this meeting?
The Guru Granth Sahib offers a response:
भै के चरण कर भाव के
Let reverence for the Divine be your feet, love be your hands
लोइण सुरति करेइ ॥
Let consciousness of the Divine presence become the eyes.
नानकु कहै सिआणीए
Says Nanak, O wise soul,
इव कंत मिलावा होइ ॥
This is how we meet the Beloved.
Reflection
Is there a story, an experience or a teaching that reminds you that the Divine may be closer than you think?
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