Reforming North American Christianity, part 2

Being quiet may hardly seem like a sure path to reformation, but I would dare to say that being quiet may be quite revolutionary for the future of North American Christianity (I know that it has been, can be, and will be for anyone who dares to try it out. Some, particularly gifted with the gab, will be shocked at the sudden serenity gifted to the world…). Of course, contemplation, in just about any sense, is about more than simply being quiet. In Dominican spirituality the seeker of God must embrace contemplation, silence, and prayerful reflection if she intends to take her faith seriously at all.

The idea that we can run about constantly from one activity to the other (whether from Bible study to the coffee shop, or laundry to Sunday worship) and remain anchored in the all-encompassing, always present, presence of God is illusionary. Yes, we can find God in these things, though I have to tell you, I have never found God while washing the dishes (though I did find a pretty neat looking spider once while drying), so forgive me for not mentioning a predictable reference.

If you would care to object here, I can simply point to Jesus. Whose own manner of life while on earth was marked with frequent periods of silence and contemplation, such as one occasion, as Saint Mark tells us, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (1:35).

Of course, we often seemed more concerned with what Jesus would do, rather than how Jesus would be. This in itself is a great obstacle to our spiritual lives and will remain a great obstacle to any reformation by the Church in North America. If we cannot learn to be, we will find it difficult to do, at least as Jesus would do. More insidious to the state of our churches and Christian institutions  is a sense that we are advancing the Gospel by doing the things we are currently doing, totally unaware that we are not being as Jesus would be.

Contemplation, in classical Christian literature, is beyond words, personal reflection or even meditation (though meditation is often misunderstood today). It is simply being in the tangible presence of the Triune God. This, in its higher expressions, is less about emotion (the Episcopalians cheer), and more like a man waking up in the middle of the night to realize that someone else is sitting quietly in his bedroom (Episcopalians freak out).   

Even the first step toward contemplation, active prayer, does not seem particularly relevant -- to most of us -- to the challenges facing our churches today. But if we won’t even pray seriously, how will we ever reach the depths of contemplation? If the guy won’t even talk to the girl at the bar, how will he ever get to know her? (Yes, Biblical reference intended, but perhaps for reasons that allude you…).

Without contemplation, any attempts at reforming North American Christianity strike me as rather dangerous.