Romans 8.6-11 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. (Rom 8.9)
This poem from Joan Chittister’s new book, The Monastery of the Heart, came to me this week via her weekly email, Vision and Viewpoint. It perfectly describes the work of Compassionate Listening, and expresses what I have seen and heard when I meet people on the ground working for peace and reconciliation in Israel and Palestine. Jamal Muqbel and his family, for example, embody this work in Beit Ommar (see Friday, Apr 1 post). And there are hundreds more…hearing God’s spirit dwelling in their hearts and joining God’s creative work, in their own lives and for the future of the world.
Listen with the ear of your heart…Prologue of The Rule of Benedict
It is a gentle, tender invitation,
this call to create within ourselves
a Monastery of the Heart.
It is the call to go down deep
into the self
in order to find there
the God
who urges us;
to come out of ourselves
to do the work of God,
to live in union with God
in the world around us.
It is not punitive, this call.
It is not demanding,
not harsh and unforgiving.
It is, instead, the daily guarantee
that, if we will only begin the journey
and stay the road—
listening to the voice of God
and responding to it
with all our gifts and goodness—
we will find that God stands waiting
to sustain us,
and support us,
and fulfill us
at every turn.
God is calling us lovingly always,
if we will only stop the noise within us
long enough to hear....
The Prologue to Benedict's Rule
demands of us
that we "Listen."
Listen to everything.
Because everything in life is important.
Listen with the heart:
with feeling for the other,
with feeling for the Word,
with feeling for the God
who feels for us.
Listen to the Word of God,
the Rule says,
"and faithfully put it into practice."
Most of all,
know that to seek God
is to find God.
In a Monastery of the Heart—
in the riches of the tradition it offers
and the treasures to which it leads,
and in company with others who are seeking, too—
find a loving spiritual guide
to encourage your journey,
to refresh your faith
when life is dry and dark,
when the days are long and draining,
when you are inclined to forget
that God is with us
for the taking.
Most of all, every day
start over again.
Remember that life is
for coming to see,
one day at a time,
what life and God
are really all about.
Life grows us more and more—
but only if we wrestle daily
with its ever-daily meaning for us.
God is calling us to more
than now—
and God is waiting
to bring us to it.
"Listen," the Rule says.
"If you hear God's voice today,
do not harden your hearts."
God, whose breath formed our very lives, your Spirit still breathes through us this day. Soften our hearts to find you there, in our very created essence. Give us courage to heed your invitation to work with you, bringing in your kingdom of justice and peace. Amen.
this call to create within ourselves
a Monastery of the Heart.
It is the call to go down deep
into the self
in order to find there
the God
who urges us;
to come out of ourselves
to do the work of God,
to live in union with God
in the world around us.
It is not punitive, this call.
It is not demanding,
not harsh and unforgiving.
It is, instead, the daily guarantee
that, if we will only begin the journey
and stay the road—
listening to the voice of God
and responding to it
with all our gifts and goodness—
we will find that God stands waiting
to sustain us,
and support us,
and fulfill us
at every turn.
God is calling us lovingly always,
if we will only stop the noise within us
long enough to hear....
The Prologue to Benedict's Rule
demands of us
that we "Listen."
Listen to everything.
Because everything in life is important.
Listen with the heart:
with feeling for the other,
with feeling for the Word,
with feeling for the God
who feels for us.
Listen to the Word of God,
the Rule says,
"and faithfully put it into practice."
Most of all,
know that to seek God
is to find God.
In a Monastery of the Heart—
in the riches of the tradition it offers
and the treasures to which it leads,
and in company with others who are seeking, too—
find a loving spiritual guide
to encourage your journey,
to refresh your faith
when life is dry and dark,
when the days are long and draining,
when you are inclined to forget
that God is with us
for the taking.
Most of all, every day
start over again.
Remember that life is
for coming to see,
one day at a time,
what life and God
are really all about.
Life grows us more and more—
but only if we wrestle daily
with its ever-daily meaning for us.
God is calling us to more
than now—
and God is waiting
to bring us to it.
"Listen," the Rule says.
"If you hear God's voice today,
do not harden your hearts."
God, whose breath formed our very lives, your Spirit still breathes through us this day. Soften our hearts to find you there, in our very created essence. Give us courage to heed your invitation to work with you, bringing in your kingdom of justice and peace. Amen.
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