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...River Intellect: from Reason to Faith
by L Cruz III2007
In recent days I received questions as to the meaning of my theosophical poem “Raging River Intellect.” (You can read it by clicking here .) While there is more to it, please allow me to offer some general insight, along with additional discussion regarding the trap of materialism.
Not only is “Raging River Intellect” a true story, but it was written while the events were unfolding. (Some tweaking came in later days.) If you notice references to Aquinas, Augustine and CS Lewis, this is no accident.
At the beginning of the piece I was deeply depressed. My rational search for God had met a dead end (which I have since overcome); leaving me feeling lost, alone and abandoned by God. Then, through an unexpected turn of events I not only caught a faint glimpse at Him, but I also discovered that he never left…I did.
The Breakdown
First God called me to SEE Him, but He also called me to be intellectual…which blinded me. I blamed God.
Then God called me to HEAR him, but he also called me to be intellectual…which deafened me. I blamed God.
Then, I intellectualized all the things He had called me to do, which included telling the world that He is exists…Yet, He still would not let me see Him, hear Him, touch Him, etc.. Once again, I blamed God.
Convinced that I had kept up my end of the bargain, but God did not, I gave up on my INTELLECT and also on my useless SENSES.
In an attempt to wind down I turned on the radio and listened to a beautiful song. That was when it happened. I sensed God standing right before me (but inside of me).
I saw Him in a way that defied my senses. It was a sight of the heart. (The line, “I hear the sweetest fragrance of Your mighty glow against my watching touch” is a non sequitur that mentions all of the 5 senses, yet makes use of none of them. It was meant to highlight confusion of the senses.)
Though a song can be heard through the senses, its beauty cannot. Though a sunset can be seen through the senses, its splendor cannot. Only the heart and the spirit can sense the majesty to which they point…a majesty we were born to identify and worship.
So, here is the twist to the whole poem. God Himself had immersed me in the things that inevitably brought me to my knees in frustration. It was a baptism of sorts. I was washed in the humbling of my intellect. He taught me the pain associated with an over reliance on natural reason, so I could learn to sense and appreciate the profundity that lies beyond.
A Note on Materialism
Whether we like to admit it or not, or whether we know it or not, we are all spiritual beings who seek God. We crave that ultimate beauty, the love and the joy that we somehow know exists. In fact, we catch glimpses of that joy everyday all around us. Things like beautiful flowers and moving music all whisper hints of His divine splendor.
Materialism happens when people confuse things (of the flesh) with the beauty to which they point. This can lead to a materialistic addiction to buying and collecting more and more things in hopes of getting closer to joy their spirit seeks. Sadly, once the newness fades, so does the joy. We begin to see the thing for what it always was...just a thing.
However, it should be noted that in no way do I mean to devalue things . Things are important and often wonderful. CS Lewis once brilliantly said, "God loves matter. He invented it." The problem comes when we confuse the created for the Creator.
We run and we run to catch that joy from God which has always been waiting within us.
Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
(Luke 17:20-21)
