To pray, I think, does not mean to think about God
in contrast to thinking about other things, or to spend time with God instead
of spending time with other people. Rather, it means to think and live in the
presence of God. As soon as we begin to divide our thoughts about God and
thoughts about people and events, we remove God from our daily life and put him
into a pious little niche where we can think pious thoughts and experience
pious feelings. ... Although it is important and even indispensable for the
spiritual life to set apart time for God and God alone, prayer can only become
unceasing prayer when all our thoughts -- beautiful or ugly, high or low, proud
or shameful, sorrowful or joyful -- can be thought in the presence of God. ...
Thus, converting our unceasing thinking into unceasing prayer moves us from a
self-centred monologue to a God-centred dialogue.
- Henri Nouwen, Clowning in Rome
No comments:
Post a Comment