So, I know lots of you who read these posts look at the world through a certain 'faith' lens, like me, and lots of you don't. Either way, I have a simple question which struck me after leaving the patience and stillness thoughts last week quite vague. My question is this:
What exactly are you looking at?
In relation to prayerful stillness, I think this is about naming your principle, but then holding it lightly. Focus your lens, then defocus so light (in this case, insight) may appear in new ways you don't normally see. It is about not strapping your human control over spiritual matters, simply agreeing to be available for whatever would like to make itself known. It is about admitting that you only see 'through a glass, darkly' and have limited perspective in this life, and allowing that a little room is required amongst all the doings of our lives to make way for the being.
But because we are, of course, human, it helps us to have a focal point, so we use the cross, or chants or whatever. My mum used to pray quietly at church when she became really sick. On the busy stained glass window in front of her she found a small white circle, and focused on this as a visual symbol to help her back to spiritual peace, an access point to everything away from hideous days of hospital and radiotherapy. In quiet days of the summer holiday weeks, she would take me, aged twelve, to sit next to her in that church while Father David, the beautiful, wise and softly spoken old priest held daily eucharist. I let her teach me about simple, devoted contemplation like this. These were the rare times she found peace and wisdom through all her troubles, so of course it had huge influence on my own journey, especially after she died just a few months later.
When it comes down to it, we can try to understand, but there will always be things we cannot explain.
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What are you looking at?
Find something. Focus in order to defocus.
{Today's Soundtrack: Secret Sisters - Tennessee Me}
