Dear Friends,
Last week I attended a retreat entitled, “The Geography of Grace”. The retreat was presented by The Center for Courage and Renewal based on the teachings of Parker Palmer. For myself, and I hope you’ll reflect on this spiritual teaching as well, my soul saw and heard how to be blessed by the contemplative gift of being in “presence”. In order for our lives to have access to our sacredness we need to hold space for our souls to be in presence. Yes presence is being in the present moment but it’s much more than that; it is also a deep listening and a willingness to be open beyond ones’ limited conceptions. Can you imagine how presence could assist those in a contemplative interfaith dialogue? Perhaps, “Presence”, is the common ground realized in community when and where we can be free to, “love our neighbors as ourselves”, without the fear of betrayal to one’s own spiritual journey. We often hear the expression and guidance of “letting go”. But when we’re truly engaged in presence we also allow ourselves to be open to, “letting COME”. That is how we see the unseen and hear the voice of our inner teacher. This is how we can live in Interfaith. For my contemplative journey forward, presence will now become a significant piece of my personal theology. How about for you? How will you hold presence in your own contemplative journey?
If you can, take your camera and take (receive) an image of a path that reminds you of being in presence. Listen. See. Act.
Namaste!
John