We are made of action, word, and Presence. We may generate our own words and actions, but our Being comes from God. American culture honors action, especially busy-ness. We honor words too, often the loudest ones. But least of all do we honor the silence of Being.
Some people affect the world through their deeds, some through their words, and others through their Presence. This culture rewards words and actions, but seldom do we reward or even acknowledge the power of being present.
This is why we need the Sabbath. Not only a day of the week, but a regular time of day, at dawn and sundown, when we settle into deep meditation. Then the body rests from action, the mind rests from words, while the heart reposes in stillness. This is a radical act, an act of re-creation, when we return to the silence that was there before God said, 'Let there be light.'
Lord, if I make my work your Being, at least for a few communion moments, morning and evening, let the wine-stain of your eternal beauty spread through all the fabric of my day. And let the ordinary of each moment be sweetened by your eternal Presence.
Picture, Mary Magdalene in the garden of the Resurrection,
in the Mission Church of Santa Barbara
No comments:
Post a Comment