Week Thirty-Seven: Psycho/Spiritual Work. September 10 – Purifying the Pond
The mind that has been purified from passions and illumined by contemplation sees the light of the Holy Trinity. Evagrius Ponticus
Gregg’s Reflection
In my coaching work, I have seen that when people have been emotionally or physically abused, they need more than spiritual work. They need psychological healing to sweep away “the emotional debris of a lifetime” so they can see God clearly. Have you embraced emotional health?
Thomas Keating described the spiritual journey as “divine therapy,” where God’s love heals the buried debris of a lifetime. The image of a pond has always spoken to me: when the water is stirred up with mud and debris, we cannot see into its depths. But when it is purified, it becomes still, and the reflection of heaven is revealed on its surface.
In my own journey, this became real through two years of therapy with my mentor Harvey Cheatham. He once told me, “You need to learn to get in touch with your emotions.” At first, I resisted, but over time I came to see how my denial of anger, shame, and guilt kept love from flowing freely in my life. It was as if the surface of the pond in me had always been cloudy, and only through inner work and grace did it begin to clear.
This psycho-spiritual work is not about fixing ourselves by sheer willpower. It is about cooperating with grace, allowing God to heal what we cannot. As we sit in silence, prayer, and reflection, the debris slowly settles, and God’s presence shines through with clarity. To purify the pond is to clear away all that obscures our deepest truth: that God dwells at our innermost center.
Scripture
Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.
Psalm 62:1
The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.
Proverbs 20:5
Ancient Quotes
The mind that has been purified from passions and illumined by contemplation sees the light of the Holy Trinity.
Evagrius Ponticus, Praktikos 61
Purity of heart is what enables us to see God. This is the goal of all our efforts and the peak of all virtue.
John Cassian, Conferences I.7
Modern Quotes
The source of our being lies in our innermost center, buried under the emotional debris of a lifetime.
Thomas Keating, Invitation to Love, p. 51–52
Like a storm-tossed lake, our own waves and agitation get in the way of a clear picture… As the heart becomes undivided, a still and accurately reflecting mirror, it begins to be able to see and swim in the deeper waters of the Divine coming into form.
Cynthia Bourgeault, The Wisdom Way of Knowing, p. 87–88
Journaling Prompts
- When you sit in silence, what inner distractions or “debris” rise to the surface?
- Where do you sense scar tissue restricting the flow of love in your life?
- What stories or wounds from your past still cloud your ability to see God clearly?
- What spiritual practices might help “purify the pond” of your heart this week?
Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 37 Reflection: Psycho/Spiritual Work