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I have been thinking about your message below all day long since you
posted it yesterday. In fact, I plan to save it on c: drive for
future reflection.
The story about the man in the desert who is shown the way by an
explorer "before God had time to answer," is both funny and precious.
But I was hoping to explore with you the last two paragraphs of your
message. What is the point of listening through contemplative prayer
to God who does not speak but is listening as well? The person is
making time available for God to speak to him or her through his or
her mind. But suppose a person sits for 30 minutes with nothing in
mind, just sits, empty mind, meditating, maybe gazing at a religious
picture, but nothing going on in his mind. Is that religion? Does
that give glory to God?
For that matter, you could do this type of contemplation sitting in a
car in a parking lot. Is that less aesthetically pleasing than
contemplating by a brook and listening to the calming effect of the
water passing in the brook?
If I sit in my bedroom and just listen -- there is silence. Should I
do that 3 hours per day? If it is pleasing to God, then presumably,
the more time I make for God and this type of cleared-mind, untroubled
contemplation, the better.
Mike
P.S. Does it seem ironic that everyone would say it is bad to sit in
the kitchen staring at the phone, waiting for it to ring --- but
essentially, we are doing that same thing sitting in contemplation
perhaps with no expectation of receiving any message, or waiting in
case some message does arrive in our minds.
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