This is part VII of our journey through Fr Martin Laird’s A Sunlit Absence, the second of his three books on contemplative prayer. In the last episode we looked at how the opposite of the contemplative life is not the active life, but the reactive life. In this episode we consider how silence leads us to justice, to an honest awareness of what is broken, sick, and failing inside of ourselves. Fr Laird is working out the teachings of Jordon of Saxony, a 13th century Augustinian monk who writes, “Through silence a brother begins to cultivate and practice justice by which virtue he is informed so as to live his own life honestly. Not to harm others, and to each each one his due. Such formation as this carries anyone so formed on to the state of perfection. On the other hand, from the breakdown of silence, disturbance of mind arise. Quarrels are borne.”
A simple summary of Jordan of Saxony goes like this: the children of silence: peace of mind and cultivation of justice.
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In this time of quarantine and as we face the racism in America, I invite you to contemplation for two reasons:
1. Contemplation is a practice of Divine healing, where the Holy Spirit can have more access to reach the trauma, exhaustion, and despair we are experiencing.
2. Contemplation is a de-centering practice that open us to listen to God, and others, especially open to see how we are complicit in racism and in other arenas of sin. For more help with facing racism, please visit: www.invitationpodcast.org/facing-racism
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It is a gift and honor to serve you through the Invitation Podcast. We hope you are well wherever you are during these difficult times. Peace of Christ
Watch a video invitation to this new series