The Spark Ascending

the following essay attempts to name the mysterious haunting melody i have heard my entire life- this tune from a land i have never visited- this scent of flower i have never seen- c.s. lewis knew about it- those are his words- he wrote about it- but what's more he lived it- in his life- in his fiction and imagination- ultimately words and symbols fail to describe or explain this holy god we adore and we are left speechless rapturous drawn into a dance whose movement started before the world began- something in our hearts yearns- always- burning with bright affection to be united with the beauty we see- inherent in beauty is truth and goodness and all that makes life worth living- we long and in our longing we run towards this light- this truth not to apprehend or contain but to be immersed in it- it is the familiar shore from which we first set sail- it is the song our mother sang over us when we were young- it is the colors stretched across the clouds in a heavenly array of banners and whispers so loud all else is silenced as the great glory of god advances upon our hearts- this unnamed wonder comes from god and leads us back to god- it is inside- it is the bullseye and the arrow- the tension we feel is the bowman pulling taunt the string- fixing his gaze- slowing his breath- taking his shot into our hearts that he may rouse us from the dead- if you seek more understanding of this - if something i am writing here is a spark then follow that ember to it's origin- my hope is that this brief essay will stir your heart and imagination- draw you closer to the flame of god's vast affection and connect you with some bright voices from the past who feel as we do- that in each human heart is a spark- comprised of many sparks- and as the wind of heaven blows through our hearts the fields are aflame with wonder - the joyful anticipation deepens and we are enlarged in the waiting