Reclaiming Divine Communion: The Path to Spiritual Renewal
The loss of connection with God is manifested as a profound spiritual crisis in an individual: a person ceases to feel God's living presence within, leading to a state of spiritual blindness, fear, and inner emptiness. Before the fall, a person experienced the Divine breath in their heart; afterwards, God appears as something external and frightening, shattering the original unity with the Creator. For example, one source states: "Divine grace, rooted in the nature of man by the very act of his creation, opened to him the path toward further deification. Both the soul and the body of man were 'imbued' with grace. With his sinful self-assertion, man 'pushed' God out of himself. ... If before the fall man felt the breath of God in his heart, then now God begins to be perceived by man as an external object, the approach of which evokes not love and joy but fear in man (Gen. 3:10)." (source: link txt)The spiritual state after losing contact is characterized as inner impoverishment – a person, much like one who buries their head in the sand, loses the ability to hear the voice of God and their own conscience, to distinguish good from evil, remaining in constant spiritual destitution. In such a state, it is noted: "Almost like an ostrich: it will bury its head in the sand and believe that no one sees it anymore. ... Similarly, a person distancing themselves from God ceases to be perceptive. They become deaf – no longer hearing how the Lord addresses them, no longer hearing the voice of their conscience, and no longer discerning good from evil." (source: link txt)However, the possibility of restoring contact with God exists. This process is not simply about correcting external actions but requires a profound inner transformation, a return to Divine love and repentance. One source notes that restoration is possible through co-crucifixion with Christ: "Divine communion!.. ... Divine communion is a benefit—true, real—that every person can attain. The path to this is through co-crucifixion with Christ. One cannot attain blessings without following the path of Christ. Only by following Christ does a person attain their blessing." (source: link txt)Thus, the loss of connection with God leads to a state of alienation, fear, and spiritual poverty, but restoration is possible through sincere repentance, a change of heart, and turning to Divine love, which initiates the process of returning to the original state of unity with God.