Our congregational conversation at Vine Street CC has turned toward the mystical – that is, the reality that lies beyond our physical senses and that opens the door to experiencing the absolute divine – God – in the moment.

As we have traversed down this path, it becomes more and more evident that our common everyday words often fall short in our attempts to describe the spiritual reality of the mystical presence of God in our midst. Words are often lacking the depth of meaning which describing spiritual realities requires. But every now and then, when words are chosen carefully and used in a manner that opens our heart to new insights, words can take us to where we otherwise could not have gone. 

That is indeed the case with one of my all-time favorite poems, “The Woodcarver,” by the ancient Taoist philosopher, Chuang Tzu. Upon first encounter, it may seem like a fuzzy attempt to tell a story about a job assignment that a certain woodcarver received from the Prince. But, as the soul enters into the spiritual realm of the story, it becomes clear that Chuang Tzu is opening up a whole new reality that goes beyond our eyes and ears, and takes us to a truth beyond the mere words of the story – and down a path to eternal and universal truths.

What at first seemed a little story about a job assignment turns into a spiritual creed about how one is called to live out this precious little time we have on earth, with all the competing demands for our attention, time, and energy. “The Woodcarver” teaches us that our true calling is always about more than what it seems to the world … and that we all have the power to stay true to ourselves and our God even against the pressures of cultural and social norms and expectations. And, most importantly, this woodcarver who claims to have no secrets, teaches us that when we “do our life” in sync with our spiritual reality, then even the spiritually uninitiated will attribute our work to the gods!