(*Quote of the Month)
 |
| Henri Nouwen |
It is impressive to see how prayer opens one’s
eyes to nature. Prayer makes a person contemplative and attentive. In place of
manipulating, the one who prays stands receptive before the world. He no longer
grabs but caresses, he no longer bites but kisses, he no longer examines but
admires. To this person, nature can show itself completely renewed. Instead of
an obstacle, it becomes a way; instead of an invulnerable shield, it becomes a
veil which gives a preview of unknown horizons.
~~ Henri Nouwen
It surprised me when I
realized I had not yet used a quote of Henri Nouwen for my QOTM. One of my
life-long favorite authors, I guess I also realize that I have not very often
run across anything by him on the subject, at least not since I began
collecting these kinds of quotes. Don’t get me started on my favorite Nouwen
books, though, as I probably own more by him than any other single author, even
heard him speak a couple times years ago, one of the most intensely focused
speakers I have ever heard.
Case in point: at a
Covenant pastors’ Midwinter Conference years ago, with probably 7-800 in
attendance at that time, he actually asked if the back doors could be locked
while he spoke, as the constant late-comings and bathroom-goings typical with a
crowd that size were causing him to struggle with focus. I’d never heard THAT
from a speaker before, but wow, did he deliver it! Sure made people get there
on time the next night!
It is impressive to see
how prayer opens one’s
eyes to nature…
That is an indication of
the laser focus the man had, the single-minded attention he gave to things. Attentive is the word he uses in the
quote. The contemplative or prayerful Christian is attentive. In fact, active
or contemplative, serious Christians are attentive. And those of us who find
nature an important spiritual pathway just happen to be attentive to certain
natural things that most people are not, especially in our frenetic, western,
non-agrarian culture; for us, nature becomes a way, a veil previewing paradise.
 |
| Thomas Merton |
Interestingly, the quote
is actually from a book Nouwen wrote on the work of another famous monk, Thomas
Merton, the title of which is Thomas
Merton: Contemplative Critic, one I have not read. But Merton was another
of those whose natural, spiritual focus was sharp.
How attentive are you as
a follower of Christ? And what is your attention focused upon? I am not at all
suggesting it has to be the natural world, but where is our focus, and Who is
our Focal Point? I think the old 1611 King James English said it this way, “As
a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
That is to say, I guess
we are what we give our attention to. Thanks for the reminder, Henri. And peace
to his memory.
~~RGM, March 14, 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment