Sitting with Reality
Friday, March 7, 2025
Mirabai Starr shares what she learned about the nonviolent direct actions of Jesuit peace activist Father Daniel Berrigan (1921–2016). Inspired by conversations with her friend and iconographer Father William (Bill) McNichols, she reflects:
What many of his followers may not have known was that Daniel Berrigan was inconsolable. As a champion for nonviolence, Dan did not see a lot of evidence that the culture of war would ever wane. Nevertheless, he persevered. What else can a true prophet do? “One is called to live nonviolently,” he said, “even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the United States around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better.” [1] He also said, “Peacemaking goes nowhere and yet it must be done.” [2]
As a young Jesuit, Fr. Bill lived in a communal house with Dan Berrigan in New York City. Sometimes, when Dan did not come down for dinner, Bill would go upstairs and knock on his door. “He’d look like he’d been assaulted,” Fr. Bill told me. It wasn’t the criticism he received that burdened him, because when Bill asked him what it was like to be continuously attacked, he answered, “I think I must be doing something right.” It was more about what Fr. Bill describes as “taking on God’s anguish for the world and walking around with it.” Fr. Bill says that in these moments, he was so deeply moved by Dan’s sorrow that all he could do was to sit quietly beside him. “It was like visiting Job,” he told me.…
A prophet cannot know that all will be well, that those in power will wake up and mend the damage they have caused, and that peace will prevail. The mystic can never be certain that union with God will be the outcome of longing for God. They must rest in unknowing. Unknowing is not always comfortable. In fact, it can feel a lot like grief.
And yet that emptiness, that waiting, that liminal space is sacred. It’s what distinguishes a prophet-mystic from a self-righteous activist or a spiritual narcissist. It is in the interior desert, where the landscape appears barren, that patience reveals the miracle of life teeming just below the surface. The more we mindfully observe what is, the more beauty comes into focus. There is nothing broken here, nothing to fix. Rather, the prophet-mystic practices sitting with reality as it is. From that space of quiet listening, we may perceive what is ours to do and tap into the vitality we need to do it. We take up our birthright of belonging and, in the spirit of the mystical Jewish teaching of tikkun olam, we mend the broken world and restore wholeness to the web of interbeing.
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Listening for Jesus in a Hurting World: A Guide to Listening for Jesus in our Hurting World
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” — Matthew 18:20
Jesus never required large crowds to do His greatest work. He spoke to Nicodemus in the quiet of the night (John 3), dined with just twelve disciples, and often withdrew with a few to pray and seek the Father’s will. Your Church of Few reflects this same model—a gathering of men seeking Christ together, listening for His voice, and responding to a broken world.
When Jesus speaks, He rarely shouts. Elijah found Him not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12). Listening for Jesus requires stillness, humility, and a heart tuned to His Spirit.
So how does a small group of men discern His voice?
- Seek Him Together Daily
Commit to silence before prayer—waiting, listening, and expecting His Spirit to guide your thoughts. Jesus often taught that those who have ears to hear will understand (Mark 4:9). Pray for those ears. - Watch for Divine Appointments
The world’s pain is all around you, but the Holy Spirit highlights the people God wants you to touch. Ask: Lord, who are you sending us to today? When your group meets, share what you’ve seen—someone hurting, someone in need, or a moment that felt like a call to action. - Act in Unity and Love
The early church didn’t have buildings or big programs, but their love transformed the world (Acts 2:42-47). As a small group, your strength is in personal, intentional acts of grace—mentoring a young man, helping a struggling neighbor, or simply being present for someone who feels forgotten. - Trust the Spirit to Lead You
Jesus told His disciples, “Do not worry about what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say” (Luke 12:12). Sometimes, He leads you to speak truth. Other times, He calls you to listen. Either way, trust that He is working through you.
Prayer
Jesus, we are listening. Speak through Your Spirit and guide us as we gather in Your name. Show us the hurting and the broken You want us to reach today. Give us ears to hear, eyes to see, and hands willing to serve. Amen.
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Jesus Calling: Sara Young
Jesus Calling: March 7th
Let Me help you through this day. The challenges you face are far too great for you to handle alone. You are keenly aware of your helplessness in the scheme of events you face. This awareness opens up a choice: to doggedly go it alone or to walk with Me in humble steps of dependence. Actually, this choice is continually before you, but difficulties highlight the decision-making process. So, consider it all joy whenever you are enveloped in various trials. These are gifts from Me, reminding you to rely on Me alone.
RELATED SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 63:7-8 (NLT)
7 Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your strong right-hand holds me securely.
James 1:2-3 (NLT)
Faith and Endurance
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
Additional insight regarding James 1:2-3: James doesn’t say if trouble comes your way but when it does. He assumes that we will have troubles and that it is possible to profit from them with increased endurance. The point is not to pretend to be happy when we face pain but to have a positive outlook (“consider it an opportunity for great joy”) because of what troubles can produce in our life. James tells us to turn our hardships into times of learning. Tough times can teach us perseverance.
Additional insight regarding James 1:2-4: We can’t really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. It is easy to be kind to others when everything is going well, but can we still be kind when others are treating us unfairly? God wants to make us mature and complete, not to keep us from all pain. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth. Thank God for promising to be with you in rough times. Ask him to help you solve your problems or give you the strength to endure them. Then be patient. God will not leave you alone with your problems; he will stay close and help you grow.
