Contemplation: A Path to Compassion
Father Richard reminds us that regular contemplative practice is not an end in itself, but for the sake of solidarity with the suffering of the world:
One of the main works of contemplation is detaching from the ego, from the self, from impure motivations of success or power, money or control. That will never stop, but it isn’t really that meaningful unless that detachment is accompanied by an attachment. What do we find after all the months and years we’ve been practicing some form of contemplation or meditation? Do we have an increased attachment, sympathy, empathy, and compassion for what I call in The Tears of Things the suffering of the world? For the women of Gaza, the children of Ukraine, the starving people of Africa, the poorest of the poor, and all those marginalized in the United States and around the world? If the emptiness of “letting go” is not pretty soon filled up by “holding on” to some kind of deep solidarity with the suffering of the world, I don’t know that it’s Christian contemplation or even meaningful contemplation at all. It seems we’re simply back into private spirituality again.
We’ve spent much of our history of contemplation seeking individually pure motivation. That’s a real temptation, but are we really going to spend the years ahead seeking only to be motivated to love Jesus on some private level? What does it even mean to love Jesus? What is the positive act of love? When we are in silent meditation or prayer, that’s what we’re praying is growing inside of us. As we let go of false motivations, and false, ego-based concerns, we’ve got to pray, hope, and desire for an increase in compassion, in caring, in solidarity with human suffering.
I believe that’s what the cross means. The raised arms of Jesus are an act of solidarity and compassion with the human situation. So, as we sit in silence this morning and every morning, let’s pray that’s what we’re praying for: an increase in compassion by letting go of false purity codes and agendas, which we think make us holy or worthy of God’s love. It doesn’t matter if we have perfect motivation or a perfect practice. What is motivating us? Instead of perfection, let’s look for growth. Ultimately, we only see that growth over time as we grow in communion with those who suffer, grow in solidarity with human and beyond-human pain, and with the tears of things.
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1.
“Nobody at any time is cut off from God.”
– Meister Eckhart, 13th Century German Preacher
This is a directly challenging statement, especially to Western Christianity.
I have found that there are two main approaches to thinking about God.
- An Emphasis on Separation
- An Emphasis on Union
It seems that whole systematic theologies reinforce the idea of separation. Sermons, books, and Bible studies hammer home the idea that God is the “Wholly Other.” These theologies’ underlying statements are: “Don’t become separated from God,” “Become reunited with God,” etc.
But didn’t St. Paul say that “Nothing can separate us from the love of God”? (Romans 8) Or before that, didn’t King David ask, “Where can I flee from Your Presence?” (Psalm 139)
It is a complete paradigm shift to center the faith around the ever-consistent presence and union with God. We are in God, and God is in us. There is a perichoretic, mutual in-dwelling that always has been and always will be. It has taken time, but I now agree with Meister Eckhart. No one is ever cut off from God. It is in God whom we “live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)
What is unfortunate is that this interpretation of Christianity is the minority view, but it feels as though the tide is turning.
2.
“Many praise and bless Jesus as long as they receive some consolation from Him, but if He hide Himself and leave them for a little while, they fall either into complaining or into excessive dejection.”
– St. John of the Cross, 16th Century Spanish Carmelite Monk
It is one thing to be in love with God, and it is another thing entirely to be in love with the benefits of God.
For this reason, God forces some people to experience the Dark Night of the Soul. It is not so much that it is a season of depression or sadness; it is a matter of God “weaning” us off of the “sweetness” of loving God to reveal to us our addiction to the “sweetness” rather than loving God directly.
About a year ago, I made a video explaining this experience.
Perhaps it will speak to you at this point in your journey.
3.
“Some of us believe that God is almighty, and can do everything; and that he is all wise, and may do everything; but that he is all love, and will do everything— there we draw back.”
– Julian of Norwich, 14th Century English Anchoress
One thing that I enjoy about the Christian mystics is their courage.
They have the gumption to make statements that challenge the status quo.
And it is not that they do it just because they want to. No, it is because they allowed themselves to be vulnerable before this mystery we call God and were then able to experience the Ineffable, from which they had to re-evaluate everything.
No Christian mystic ever came back from an experience of the Divine and said, “We are all screwed.”
Every Christian mystic returned and proclaimed, “It is true; I have seen it; God is infinite, unconditional love!”
4.
“The one who wills anything other than the Good will become divided.”
– Soren Kierkegaard, 19th Centurty Danish Philosopher
Nearly 15 years ago, a group of friends and I read Soren Kierkegaard’s Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing.
It kickstarted our little friend group of seminarians to read everything we could from Kierkegaard, but I still consider Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing my favorite.
In it, Kierkegaard evaluates what it means to have divided interests from every angle possible. We often avoid doing evil for mixed reasons, and we do charitable things for mixed reasons, and these things can lead to us having a “split-soul.” As a philosopher and ethicist, Kierkegaard emphasizes the need to love the Good and to devote one’s life to enacting the Good at every opportunity.
5.
“I no longer you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
– John 15:15, 1st Century Mystical Text
I have been thinking a fair amount about “obedience.”
It is a form of early faith that frames everything about the Christian faith through obedience and disobedience. And I am not necessarily saying that this is bad. We should curtail our desires and submit to what Love requires of us in a particular moment.
However,
Even Jesus seems to frame the faith differently at the end of his time with the disciples. For him, he had to invite them into friendship while they perhaps wanted to stay servants. The Greek word for “servant” is the same as “slave.” I find it enormously uplifting for Jesus to tell his disciples that he no longer considers them as servants/slaves but as loving friends.
Obedience does not exactly fit within the framework of “loving friends.”
I just wanted to let you know that I have no further thought beyond this. I am still mulling over this topic…
