Fourth Week of Advent, Tuesday: Dynamic Balance

In the Heart of Winter: A Meditator’s Guide to Advent

The accounts of the birth of Jesus in the gospels of Luke and Matthew are different. In fact, they are vastly different. What are we to make of this? The account in Matthew tells the story of the visiting kings and the attempted intervention of Herod. Luke makes no mention of that but tells us of the shepherds who were inspired by a vision in the night and came to adore the child. Luke gives us perspective of Mary’s experience, Matthew focuses on Joseph.

If we don’t lock ourselves into a purely literal reading of the texts, we can hold these differences together and discover some insights about the inner story that are valuable to us. Taken together, they affirm different qualities within us that are essential to our own wholeness.

The story in Luke is primarily focused on feminine qualities. Here we find Mary’s experience and her demonstration of the complete receptivity of the soul. In many traditions the soul—whether it is the soul of a man or a woman—is seen as feminine due to its receptive nature. The soul is, of course, beyond gender. To name it feminine is to affirm its primary quality as being receptive to God. The presence and power of God gives life to the soul and the soul is entirely receptive of that life. In Luke we also read the story of the shepherds and learn of their humility, earthy, and intuitive qualities—all considered feminine in nature. In Matthew, the focus is on Joseph. Joseph’s first response to learning of the impending birth is to use his rational mind to try to figure out the best way to deal with it. He then has a dream, which gives him a revelation beyond thought. The wise men, too, show this rational bent as they inquire “Where is he that is born king of the Jews?” The logical, rational inclination associated with thought is considered a masculine quality.

When we explore the story by holding the accounts side by side, we can see that feminine qualities of devotion, surrender, and intuition are essential and so are the masculine qualities of reason, discernment, and decisive action. The feminine quality of devotion and receptivity without clear discernment can become too sentimental or fail to take action on the inspiration. The masculine quality of reason without surrender and devotion can become too arrogant and self-willed. A balance of feminine receptivity and masculine action is ideal.

Practice:

Reflect on how you experience the balance of your masculine and feminine qualities. Do you tend to be too emotional or passive? Too “heady” or intellectual in your approach? In yoga, the ideal path is one that integrates Bhakti, the way of devotion, with Jnana, the way of wisdom. Making sure that our sadhana or spiritual practice includes prayer and surrender as well as study and contemplation is a first step in cultivating balance.

Contemplate:

All things have their backs to the female
and stand facing the male.
When male and female combine,
all things achieve harmony.
     —Tao te Ching, v 42, Stephen Mitchell, trans.

Reflect:

Am I being invited to cultivate more balance in my life?