In some respects, this self-emptying might be a leitmotif in the life of Jesus as told in the Gospels. He was one who emptied himself. In the history of Christian theology, this simple statement has caused much controversy. In large part, the controversy related to how Jesus, who was considered G*d, could empty himself of divinity and what that might mean. It raged in the controversies of the early church when Christian theologians tried to make sense of Jesus as human and divine. The debate was long and complex, and I don't want to enter into it here. Whatever this kenosis meant, in all readings, it is about taking a lower position than expected, or leaving a position that one has a right to.
Of interest to me, as I read again of Jesus's self-emptying, was how this might be exemplary for spiritual life. What would it mean, not just for Jesus, but for anyone—for me—to be "self-emptied"?
Three seed-thoughts:
First, self-emptying is intentional, not about having the self taken away, but choosing to empty oneself. Intentionality—making choices—is a key element of spirituality.
Second, self-emptying is to let go of control—to let go of being in control, of controlling situations, and of controlling other people.
Third, self-emptying is to choose not to be first, not to be preeminent, not to be number one—to choose to be subordinate, to choose the lower place.
To empty the self is scary and risky: what if there is nothing left when the self is emptied? It is also, perhaps, foolish: "If I don't stand up for myself, who will? Won't I get walked over?" I may be misunderstood, taken advantage of. My reputation might suffer.
What might be gained by self-emptying?
St. Paul asserts that it was because of Jesus's self-emptying that G*d exalted Jesus and gave him a name above every other name. This is a kind of equation. Empty yourself now, and you will be filled later. One reading of this would be to suggest that power and influence will be yours, if you deliberately subordinate yourself now. In other words, self-emptying is another form of self-aggrandizement—only subtly so! You can take a lower position now because you know that in doing so you will be given a higher position later. That doesn't feel right.
Instead, choose self-emptying not to become great, but because it is the Way. To choose subordination has ever been the path of the sage or the mystic.
Further, self-emptying is for the sake of the Other. The self is subordinated out of love. The kenosis, or self-emptying, of Christ, represents G*d's self being emptied through incarnation. The high becomes the low for the sake of the Other. The Other is preferred above the self. It may be that the whole evolutionary process of creation is the self-emptying of G*d for the sake of the world.
Pondering this, I realized how counter-cultural the notion of self-emptying is. "Let this mind be in you..." is to swim against a very strong current. But St. Paul was right in highlighting the mind in the process. Intentionality is first about what we think, the way we think. It is a "setting the mind." More than any culture before us, we are obsessed with finding the self, developing the self, promoting the self, and with asserting our own rights. From the youngest age, we teach our children to be competitive, to get an edge, to move ahead of the other kids. It has made parenting a ceaseless round of activities and expense just to make sure your kids don't lag behind the others. Much in the world of work involves self-promotion, aiming to stand out from the crowd.
Might it be time to get off the merry-go-round—to set the mind in a different direction?
+Ab. Andy