Knocking on Heaven's Door

Jesus told his disciples, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you” (Lk 11:9), which reminded me of the following story, adapted from The Song of the Bird by Anthony de Mello:

A woman approached the door of heaven and knocked. “Who’s there?” asked a voice from within.” She replied, “It’s me, Lord! Please let me in!” “There’s only room for one here,” the voice said. Saddened, the women left to ponder this message. Later, she returned to the door and knocked again. “Who’s there?” asked the voice from within. “It’s you, Lord,” the woman replied. Immediately the door swung open.

What can we learn from this mini parable? For one thing, “Ask, and it will be given to you” does not apply to our desire for wealth, security, fame, or power. Rather, it is when we align ourselves with God—God’s intentions, God’s creativity, God’s love for all beings—that we will receive what we need to experience God’s life and share it with others.

A second interpretation is that there is no room for us in the kingdom of God when we separate ourselves from the body of Christ. Further, the parable helps us understand that when we recognize that Christ dwells within us, there is no need to knock at the door of heaven, because it is always open to us, even in the midst of our life on earth. As with so many things, we just need the eyes to see what is already available to us.