Feng Shui with Jesus

Before you think Dave has gone over the falls of syncretism, let me suggest that even in areas of disagreement we might discover some truth.  Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy which teaches that geography influences spirit and life.  Learning to arrange our material surroundings in a certain way will allow our inner selves to be aligned with our outer world.  Most of us are familiar with this terminology in regard to the design of homes, backyard spaces and work places.

I used to think this was a rather silly notion.  And yet to do so is to become dualistic in thinking.  Is there no connection to the material and the spiritual?  Does our physical environment have no affect on our soul?  Are we not flesh and spirit?

Granted, my application of this ancient philosophy is not "orthodox."  But I have discovered that my relationship to the God who made me and saves me is influenced by the arrangement of the space in my life.

Robert Boyd Munger wrote a beautiful analogy over fifty years ago entitled "My Heart - Christ's Home" in which our life is depicted as a house of varied rooms into which Christ comes to visit as a guest.  As He enters each room (symbolic of different facets of our life) we must be willing to surrender that "room" to His authority.

I'd like to take that basic analogy to a detailed focus.  Imagine that Christ has been invited into the one room that is your life - for in reality we all live in a one-room cottage.  In order for us to engage in a meaningful way with our Guest, we must have the room ordered in a certain way.  The furniture must be set so as to facilitate smooth conversation.  The sounds, aromas, and lighting - the very texture - of the room must be conducive to intimacy or we can become lost to each other despite our close proximity.

In the room of my life I have too often sought to have intimate engagement with my Lord-Guest while inappropriate pictures hung on the wall, or babbling music blared, or rotting garbage rested in a bag in the corner.  Is it any wonder my time with my Guest is forced, uncomfortable and forgettable?

Hard as it may be to admit, there is a vital link between the arrangement of the room of my life and the spirit of relationship being established with God.  Jesus cut to the core of it when He declared that worshippers must submit to worshipping God "in spirit and in truth."  (John 4:24)  Here, ironically, Jesus argues that location is not important in worship, but the state of the heart.  The state of the heart, however is the "decor" of the inner sanctuary.  We cannot have lives resembling a brothel, a factory, a sports bar, or a movie theatre and expect them to also serve as a sanctuary.

For the most part, we meet with God in the sanctuary of our minds.  If our minds dwell on pornographic images, greed-driven plans, bitter memories, grudges, or any number of ungodly pursuits, we have created a room which is in complete opposition to fruitful fellowship with the Father.  A one-room cottage cannot serve divided purposes.  We do not live in mansions which allow us to have rooms (or whole wings!) for activities and thoughts which dishonor the character of God, while reserving other rooms for "holy" interactions.

Feng Shui with Jesus urges me to pay closer attention to the material furniture of my material home as well.  It is where I live.  It is where my soul lives.  I cannot remain unaffected by the space around me.  I may choose to venture into places which are conducive to unrighteousness and be used by God to touch lives.  But I can't live there consistently or I become disconnected from my Guest.  He is near, but the distractions begin to drown His voice and blur His image.

I don't particularly enjoy remodeling a home, but I enjoy the results.  The decor of my mind, my home, and my office needs attention.  My Guest deserves the best.

What do you think?