{"id":23367,"date":"2024-02-02T10:41:58","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T15:41:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=23367"},"modified":"2024-02-02T10:41:58","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T15:41:58","slug":"from-isolation-to-contemplation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=23367","title":{"rendered":"From Isolation to Contemplation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lauren Daigle - My Revival |Lyric Video|\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LS0cVfRXHeA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Gareth Higgins explores how our tendency to isolate ourselves springs from a genuine need for the inner work of contemplation:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The isolation story is ultimately a story of separation: separation from each other, separation from God and goodness, separation from the earth and the ecosystem of which we are a part. It\u2019s a story of separation even from ourselves.\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jesus came to subvert all stories of violence and harm, <\/strong>not to repeat them.<strong> Instead of advocating escapist stories of isolation [like John the Baptist and the Essenes], he sent his followers into the world to be agents of positive change like salt, light, and yeast. But even Jesus needed peace and quiet sometimes, and this reveals the legitimate need that the story of isolation answers\u2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not the need to completely withdraw from community, and it\u2019s not that we shouldn\u2019t participate in groups that have boundaries. <strong>What the story of isolation answers (poorly) is the need of the inner life for contemplation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>There is a universal need for finding a space inside and tending it through practices of contemplation that can enable us to become what we might call\u00a0<em>strong peace<\/em>\u2026. Some peace is as strong as a block of marble. We might become strong peace through contemplation even in the face of roaring traffic, of people on a city street, or the bombardment of headline news on our screens\u2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Instead of withdrawing from the world, whether as individuals or groups or nations, we are called to be fully immersed in the places we are<\/strong>. Learning to discern light and shadow, bringing what we have and asking for what we need. Our contemplative practices are always ways of being more alive in the world and more active for the common good.\u2026 <strong>When we exchange isolation for contemplation, we discover it\u2019s not where you live or with whom you live, but\u00a0<em>how<\/em>\u00a0you live. Instead of a lonely, separatist, isolationist life, we can become the contemplative life of the party or the most hospitable hermit. [1]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Author and translator Carmen Acevedo Butcher shares how contemplation disrupts unhelpful stories that run through her mind:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the things that contemplation does for me is what Meister Eckhart calls\u00a0<em>Gelassenheit.<\/em>\u00a0[2] <strong>[It allows me] to let go of my own stories.<\/strong> We all have these stories going through our minds \u2026 these different aspects of ourselves that are always having an inner conversation. <strong>When I practice contemplation, whether it\u2019s walking down the street \u2026 or just returning to love, somehow, I\u2019m letting go of my stories for the moment. <\/strong>There comes a quiet where I can hear again what Beatrice Bruteau calls that \u201cradical<s>\u00a0<\/s>optimism.\u201d [3] <strong>What I love about contemplation is that it\u2019s kind of like that record scratch \u2026 where everything stops and you go, wait, what am I doing? Who am I? Why am I just participating in this blather inside \u2026 when I could sink into this real love that is who I am and who everyone is? [4]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>__________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jesus, the storyteller.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone knows someone who can spin a yarn. At gatherings, they capture the attention of those within earshot and never let go until the fish is caught, the lost item is found, or someone is saved from complete disaster. <strong>There is a smile in this storyteller\u2019s voice, a way about their words. And their stories get passed down and around until they become nothing short of family lore.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>On a larger scale and in much the same way, history\u2019s best storytellers and their stories endure. Homer\u2019s poetry. Shakespeare\u2019s plays. And yes, Jesus\u2019 parables.<\/strong> It\u2019s likely \u2014 whether you\u2019re familiar with Jesus\u2019 personal story or not \u2014 that you\u2019ve heard a few of his narratives. Perhaps it\u2019s \u201cThe Prodigal Son\u201d or \u201cThe Good Samaritan\u201d? Even if those titles don\u2019t ring a bell, you\u2019ve probably heard their retellings. <strong>Because we haven\u2019t let these stories go. Jesus captured our attention with them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During his time, it\u2019s obvious he captured the attention of his immediate audience, too. He was known to draw a crowd whenever he spoke, whether walking outside or sitting around the dinner table. And you can imagine the joy in his voice when he spoke about a shepherd finding his lost sheep or a father welcoming back his wayward son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jesus\u2019s stories were \u2014 and still are \u2014 compelling.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But like all good stories with staying power, they do more than entertain. They hold meaning. That\u2019s what gives stories their value. Some call Jesus\u2019 stories \u201clogos,\u201d which simply translates to \u201cword,\u201d but we all know words must be put in the right order to amount to anything. <strong>And Jesus ordered his words with purpose, pointing to the truth about wisdom, discernment, and love. When we see this \u201clogos\u201d in any story \u2014 from Jesus\u2019 parables to our favorite fairy tales, from popular movies to the news \u2014 we recognize it. It resonates when goodness prevails. And this goodness is what holds us all together. It\u2019s part of our shared human experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This is why we can still look to Jesus\u2019 stories and use them as reference points. It turns out, things haven\u2019t changed that much. Humans are still humans, and the world still runs on stories. And Jesus told some of the best of them.<\/strong><br>___<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you know Jesus told nearly 40 parables?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are so many to discover, but here are the few mentioned above:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parable of the Prodigal Son: Luke 15:11-32<br>Parable of the Lost Sheep: Matthew 18:10-14<br>Parable of the Good Samaritan: Luke 10:25-37<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scripture References:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Luke 15:11-32<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Parable of the Lost Son<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>11&nbsp;<\/sup>Then He said:&nbsp;\u201cA certain man had two sons.&nbsp;<sup>12&nbsp;<\/sup>And the younger of them said to&nbsp;<em>his<\/em>&nbsp;father, \u2018Father, give me the portion of goods that falls&nbsp;<em>to me.<\/em>\u2019 So he divided to them&nbsp;<em>his<\/em>&nbsp;livelihood.&nbsp;<sup>13&nbsp;<\/sup>And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with&nbsp;<sup>[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=luke%2015:11-32&amp;version=NKJV#fen-NKJV-25602a\">a<\/a>]<\/sup>prodigal living.&nbsp;<sup>14&nbsp;<\/sup>But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.&nbsp;<sup>15&nbsp;<\/sup>Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.&nbsp;<sup>16&nbsp;<\/sup>And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the&nbsp;<sup>[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=luke%2015:11-32&amp;version=NKJV#fen-NKJV-25605b\">b<\/a>]<\/sup>pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him&nbsp;<em>anything.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>17&nbsp;<\/sup>\u201cBut when he came to himself, he said, \u2018How many of my father\u2019s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!&nbsp;<sup>18&nbsp;<\/sup>I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, \u201cFather,&nbsp;I have sinned against heaven and before you,&nbsp;<sup>19&nbsp;<\/sup>and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.\u201d \u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>20&nbsp;<\/sup>\u201cAnd he arose and came to his father. But&nbsp;when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.&nbsp;<sup>21&nbsp;<\/sup>And the son said to him, \u2018Father, I have sinned against heaven&nbsp;and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>22&nbsp;<\/sup>\u201cBut the father said to his servants,&nbsp;<sup>[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=luke%2015:11-32&amp;version=NKJV#fen-NKJV-25611c\">c<\/a>]<\/sup>\u2018Bring out the best robe and put&nbsp;<em>it<\/em>&nbsp;on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on&nbsp;<em>his<\/em>&nbsp;feet.&nbsp;<sup>23&nbsp;<\/sup>And bring the fatted calf here and kill&nbsp;<em>it,<\/em>&nbsp;and let us eat and be merry;&nbsp;<sup>24&nbsp;<\/sup>for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.\u2019 And they began to be merry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>25&nbsp;<\/sup>\u201cNow his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.&nbsp;<sup>26&nbsp;<\/sup>So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.&nbsp;<sup>27&nbsp;<\/sup>And he said to him, \u2018Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>28&nbsp;<\/sup>\u201cBut he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.&nbsp;<sup>29&nbsp;<\/sup>So he answered and said to&nbsp;<em>his<\/em>&nbsp;father, \u2018Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.&nbsp;<sup>30&nbsp;<\/sup>But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>31&nbsp;<\/sup>\u201cAnd he said to him, \u2018Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.&nbsp;<sup>32&nbsp;<\/sup>It was right that we should make merry and be glad,&nbsp;for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Matthew 18:10-14<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Parable of the Wandering Sheep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>10&nbsp;<\/sup>\u201cSee that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels&nbsp;in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.&nbsp;<sup>[11]&nbsp;<\/sup><sup>[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Matthew%2018:10-14&amp;version=NIV#fen-NIV-23739a\">a<\/a>]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>12&nbsp;<\/sup>\u201cWhat do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?&nbsp;<sup>13&nbsp;<\/sup>And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.&nbsp;<sup>14&nbsp;<\/sup>In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Luke 10:25-37<\/strong>; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Parable of the Good Samaritan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>25&nbsp;<\/sup>On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. \u201cTeacher,\u201d he asked, \u201cwhat must I do to inherit eternal life?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>26&nbsp;<\/sup>\u201cWhat is written in the Law?\u201d&nbsp;he replied.&nbsp;\u201cHow do you read it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>27&nbsp;<\/sup>He answered, \u201c\u2018Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind\u2019<sup>[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=luke%2010:25-37&amp;version=NIV#fen-NIV-25391a\">a<\/a>]<\/sup>;&nbsp;and, \u2018Love your neighbor as yourself.\u2019<sup>[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=luke%2010:25-37&amp;version=NIV#fen-NIV-25391b\">b<\/a>]<\/sup>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>28&nbsp;<\/sup>\u201cYou have answered correctly,\u201d&nbsp;Jesus replied.&nbsp;\u201cDo this and you will live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>29&nbsp;<\/sup>But he wanted to justify himself,&nbsp;so he asked Jesus, \u201cAnd who is my neighbor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>30&nbsp;<\/sup>In reply Jesus said:&nbsp;\u201cA man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.&nbsp;<sup>31&nbsp;<\/sup>A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.&nbsp;<sup>32&nbsp;<\/sup>So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.&nbsp;<sup>33&nbsp;<\/sup>But a Samaritan,&nbsp;as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.&nbsp;<sup>34&nbsp;<\/sup>He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.&nbsp;<sup>35&nbsp;<\/sup>The next day he took out two denarii<sup>[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=luke%2010:25-37&amp;version=NIV#fen-NIV-25399c\">c<\/a>]<\/sup>&nbsp;and gave them to the innkeeper. \u2018Look after him,\u2019 he said, \u2018and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>36&nbsp;<\/sup>\u201cWhich of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>37&nbsp;<\/sup>The expert in the law replied, \u201cThe one who had mercy on him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesus told him,&nbsp;\u201cGo and do likewise.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gareth Higgins explores how our tendency to isolate ourselves springs from a genuine need for the inner work of contemplation: The isolation story is ultimately a story of separation: separation from each other, separation from God and goodness, separation from the earth and the ecosystem of which we are a part. It\u2019s a story of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23367"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23367"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23368,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23367\/revisions\/23368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}