Meet the Mystic: Meister Eckhart

No, they’re not magicians (although Professor McGonagall and Julian of Norwich would probably be great friends). 

Mystics are people that are spiritually in-tune in different ways than your average person. They have experiences that are life-changing, yet somewhat indescribable. These mystics are awake to the movements of God in the world and challenge us to wake up as well. 

Many of them are people who have gotten kicked out of their communities, thrown out of their families, and even burned up for not believing the right things. They give us perspective on our own journeys, as we grow into our true self.

Each of the posts in this series will contain a mystic who can offer us a gift and challenge as we craft spiritual depth. 

Who was Meister Eckhart and why is he important?

Like any good mystic making a difference in the world, Meister Eckhart was tried for heresy by the Pope at the time (John the 22nd, if you care). Eckhart lived during the 13th century, a time when people really were obsessed with whether you believed the right things (aren’t you glad that has changed). 

Eckhart once said,

“We are all meant to be mothers of God. What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the divine Son takes place unceasingly, but does not take place within myself? And, what good is it to me if Mary is full of grace if I am not also full of grace? What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to his Son if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture? This, then, is the fullness of time: When the Son of Man is begotten in us.”

First off, try being a 13th century monk (male, celibate, etc) saying that all people can be mothers of God. That alone will get you some attention. 

But, take that idea in for a moment. Each person can bear God to the world that needs it. During his time, only priests could mediate between God and humans and there was a very particular way in which that had to happen. Then Meister Eckhart comes along telling people that each person could be a conduit for God to be born into the world. He empowered people to take hold of their own spiritual lives and take responsibility for the state of the world. 

That’s part of the problem with people of faith today. There is this thought that the spiritual realm is siloed and could not interfere with anything in the world. But what good is faith if it is not changing our actions?

His mysticism inspired action. He encouraged people to actually live out the truths they claimed to believe. What would happen if we were actually people of grace? What would happen if we actually loved our neighbors? What would happen if we actually did what Jesus did?