Down down down
into the abyss
falling
into nothingness
no thing to cling to
no opinions
beliefs
expectations
can hold me
even God himself
will not catch me
or slow my descent
or is it ascent
I’ve lost all bearing
sense of direction
falling into God
~Robert Van Valkenburgh
Reflection:
There is a kind of spiritual descent that feels like freefall—no ground beneath the feet, no certainty in the sense of direction, only the sheer openness of nothingness. Yet the mystics and saints have long whispered that this very abyss is not a void to be feared but a passage into deeper union with the Divine. In Christian contemplation surrender is not capitulation but kenosis—self-emptying that opens our hearts to a God who often reveals Himself not at the summit of understanding but in the silent depth where all illusions of control dissolve. As we release our beliefs, expectations, and even our sense of spiritual bearings, we begin to recognize that the falling is itself an encounter with God. This descent into nothingness, paradoxically, becomes an ascent into intimacy with Christ, who emptied Himself for our sake. In the darkness where nothing holds us and nothing defines us, we discover that God holds us, not by clinging but by embracing our surrender. Here in the vast quiet of the ungraspable Divine, we are invited to trust, to let go, and to find that the One we feared might fall away is the very presence into which we are quietly being drawn. The abyss is not the end of God but the gateway into the sacred mystery of God’s abiding love.
Question for Meditation:
What expectations or beliefs do you need to release so that your fall into the unknown becomes a step into God’s deeper presence?
Related Scripture:
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)
For Further Reading:
If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Sinking Into Loving Darkness: Surrendering to the Sacred Void of Divine Love (Oratio Divina)
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