On this Sunday morning I turn to Thomas Merton (1915-1968), one of my spiritual guides, to explore the practice of praying across faith traditions. Sounding as much a Zen student as a devout Roman Catholic monk, Merton writes:
“If we really want prayer, we’ll have to give it time. We must slow down to a human tempo and we’ll begin to have time to listen. As as soon as we listen to what’s going on, things will begin to take shape by themselves. But for this we have to experience time in a new way …. The reason why we don’t take time is a feeling that we have to keep moving. This is a real sickness. Today time is a commodity, and for each one of us time is mortgaged. … we must approach the whole idea of time in a new way.
“… The whole things boils down to giving ourselves in prayer a chance to realise that we have what we seek. We don’t have to rush after it. It is there all the time, and if we give it time it will makes itself known to us.”
source: In: de Waal, E. (1992). A seven-day journey with Thomas Merton (self-retreat). Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Publ., p.40.
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i like this one Peter… particularly the last paragraph about slow down – it’s with me, allow space so i notice – i have everything i need
xx
yes, nancy: i could do with a reminder every day. why is it so difficult to learn such “easy” lessons?