"Seek silence.
Gladden in silence.
Adore silence."
Not long ago, my husband and I were in a Lyft car--we've always used only Lyft--being picked up from church. In the 5-minute drive from our parish to our apartment, the driver managed to pick my brain about the Catholic faith more thoroughly than anyone has done since I was in college, or possibly ever. Hearkening back to RCIA and everything I'd ever learned in Newman Club, on various retreats and even our Engaged Encounter, I proceeded to give her as thorough a witness as possible, fresh from the homily and liturgy as we were. "Sorry for all the questions," she told me as she dropped us off. "No, it's good," I said. "We should all be ready to do that, no matter what we believe. Thank you."
I meant it. Not only because I always wish people would ask instead of assuming, but also because I think many of us in Christian faith communities in particular have become far too caught up in cultural assumptions about how other people, particularly other Christians, should think, believe and practice. I will spare you--or at least save for another time--a long, beleaguered post about the ways this is currently being expressed in American politics, and instead offer this view that seeking "a personal relationship with Jesus" has instead become self-seeking, that "God's plan for us" tends to look a lot more like our plan for God. Instead of looking at Jesus' sacrifice as an example, we ask only what it has gained for us. This is dangerous: Not pro-life, not Christ-like, and certainly not God-centered. I know that only when I quiet myself, and try to remove myself from the center of my daily affairs, do I find God--or even begin to look for Him in others. I now pray for blessed silence daily, in order to speak in wisdom and in truth when called upon.
Author's note: Many of the links here are cited for example only. I am painfully aware that what I bring up here is fodder for much further, deeper and more necessary exploration than I can do at the moment. That said, I intend to follow them up during the course of the rest of this blog, as well as in any resultant writings.
Gladden in silence.
Adore silence."
Not long ago, my husband and I were in a Lyft car--we've always used only Lyft--being picked up from church. In the 5-minute drive from our parish to our apartment, the driver managed to pick my brain about the Catholic faith more thoroughly than anyone has done since I was in college, or possibly ever. Hearkening back to RCIA and everything I'd ever learned in Newman Club, on various retreats and even our Engaged Encounter, I proceeded to give her as thorough a witness as possible, fresh from the homily and liturgy as we were. "Sorry for all the questions," she told me as she dropped us off. "No, it's good," I said. "We should all be ready to do that, no matter what we believe. Thank you."
I meant it. Not only because I always wish people would ask instead of assuming, but also because I think many of us in Christian faith communities in particular have become far too caught up in cultural assumptions about how other people, particularly other Christians, should think, believe and practice. I will spare you--or at least save for another time--a long, beleaguered post about the ways this is currently being expressed in American politics, and instead offer this view that seeking "a personal relationship with Jesus" has instead become self-seeking, that "God's plan for us" tends to look a lot more like our plan for God. Instead of looking at Jesus' sacrifice as an example, we ask only what it has gained for us. This is dangerous: Not pro-life, not Christ-like, and certainly not God-centered. I know that only when I quiet myself, and try to remove myself from the center of my daily affairs, do I find God--or even begin to look for Him in others. I now pray for blessed silence daily, in order to speak in wisdom and in truth when called upon.
Author's note: Many of the links here are cited for example only. I am painfully aware that what I bring up here is fodder for much further, deeper and more necessary exploration than I can do at the moment. That said, I intend to follow them up during the course of the rest of this blog, as well as in any resultant writings.
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