Brother Roger of Taize: Essential Writings

A conversation with a wise friend.  That's how I would describe the book, "Br. Roger of Taize:  Essential Writings" in the Modern Spiritual Masters series from Orbis Press.

This series continues to impress me with its breadth and depth.  This particular volume draws from the work of one of the founders and pioneers of the Christian ecumenical movement, Br. Roger of Taize.  Many will be familiar with Taize as a pilgrimage site which draws young people from around the world.  Or perhaps you have heard the powerful chants prayed at Taize.  Taize is also the spiritual powerhouse of the ecumenical movement, challenging Christians to grow deeper in their relationship with Christ, recognizing that in doing so they are also growing closer to one another.  The community of Taize has had a profound effect in shaping today's religious culture.  Taize is a place of communion, reconciliation, simplicity, and depth.  These characteristics clearly come from their founder, Br. Roger.

Prayer at Taize

"The foundation of our life is to know that God loves us.  Everything in our existence springs up from that love." 

The words in this book are simple.  There is no technical theological jargon or complex methods for spiritual growth.  The book focuses on the essentials of the spiritual life, but it is not simplistic.  There are no "Seven Steps to Spiritual Freedom" or "Spiritual Laws to Live By."  Instead, the book goes straight to the heart.  It reveals a few simple truths drawn from the Gospel.

People who strive to surrender themselves to God body and soul let themselves be built up from within on the basis of a few simple truths from the Gospel.  Truths which at one time or another have touched them to the core.  Why not summarize them briefly so that they can be called to mind at any moment?
The fruit of much thought, matured slowly and worked out over a long period of time, this summary most often takes shape in the midst of life's struggles.  Once we have found it, it can carry us forward our whole life long.
This does not mean a great many words, but a few essential Gospel values that are concise and clear enough for us to return to them again and again.  If we forget them for a time, we can return to them again the very moment they come to mind.

Br. Roger discovers the essential and shares what he has found.  His approach is one of respectful dialogue.  His writing is an invitation to childlike trust.  The book is made up of short selections from Br. Roger's writings (most less than a page in length).  Many of these short selections contain summaries of conversations he has had with pilgrims or Brothers in the community.  All of the selections are the fruit of Br. Roger's experience in seeking reconciliation and understanding.  In speaking of his life he recalls a moment of clarity where a he committed himself to a simple truth.

When I was young, at a time when Europe was torn apart by so many conflicts, I kept on asking myself: Why all these confrontations?  Why do so many people, even Christians, condemn one another out of hand?  And I wondered: is there, on this earth, a way of reaching complete understanding of others?  Then came a day... when I made a decision.  I said to myself, if this way does exist, begin with yourself and resolve to understand every person fully.  That day, I was certain the vow I had made was for life.  It involved nothing less than returning again and again, my whole life long, to this irrevocable decision:  seek to understand all, rather than to be understood.

His experience guiding young people as they search for God is also clear in the book.

How can we recognize such a call and discover what God wants from us?
God wants us to be a reflection of his presence, bearers of a Gospel hope.
There are people who perceive, however faintly at first, that God's call for them is a vocation for their entire lifetime.
The Holy Spirit has the strength to sustain a yes for our whole life.  Has he not placed in us a desire for eternity and the infinite?
In the Spirit, at every age, it is possible to find new vitality and to say to ourselves, "Be steadfast of heart, and keep going forward!" (Sir. 2:2).
And then, by his mysterious presence, the Holy Spirit brings about a change in our hearts, rapidly for some, imperceptible for others.  What had been obscure or even disturbing starts to become clear.  Until the end of our days, a yes spoken in trust can bring so much clarity.
Although we are called to make the gift of ourselves, we are not really built for such a gift.  Christ understands our inner resistances.  By overcoming them, we demonstrate our love to him.

It is no wonder that young people were drawn to this wise man who gently invited them to trust in their goodness and ultimately in the goodness of God.  Anyone serious about the spiritual life would benefit from reading this book and having a conversation with this wise spiritual guide.

Anthony De Mello: Writings (Modern Spiritual Masters Series) Anthony De Mello, William V. Dych

As I work my way through the Obis Books Modern Spiritual Masters Series I continue to be impressed. Recently I finished the volume containing some of the writings of Anthony De Mello, S.J.

I have been a fan of De Mello for as long as I can remember. His pointed stories have a way of challenging deeper reflection and opening up new insights. Unlike "Chicken Soup for the Soul" the stories in this volume are more like "A Double Shot Espresso for the Soul" designed to wake the reader up to new levels of insight.

Warning
It is a great mystery that though the human heart longs for Truth, in which it alone finds liberation and delight, the first reaction of human beings to Truth is one of hostility and fear. So the Spiritual Teachers of humanity, like Buddha and Jesus, created a device to circumvent the opposition of their listeners: the story. They knew that the most entrancing words a language holds are "Once upon a time...," that it is common to oppose a truth but impossible to resist a story.

The stories and meditations in this anthology will make you want to read more by this modern spiritual master. The stories have a way of working themselves deeply into your soul and then coming out at the appropriate time. Consider these stories taken more or less at random:

The disciples were absorbed in a discussion of Lau-tzu's dictum:
Those who know do not say;
Those who say do not know.
When the master entered, they asked him exactly what the words meant.
Said the master, "Which of you knows the fragrance of a rose?"
All of them know.
Then he said, "Put it into words."
All of them were silent.

or

A man of spiritual repute came to the master and said, "I cannot pray, I cannot understand the scriptures, I cannot do the exercises that I prescribe to others...."
Then give it all up," said the master cheerfully.
"But how can I? I am supposed to be a holy man and have a following in these parts."
Later the master said with a sigh: "Holiness today is a name without a reality. It is only genuine when it is a reality without a name."

Besides the stories there are spiritual exercises and reflections which invite deeper insight. These are obviously informed by modern psychology, but not bound by any particular set of psychological theories. Their purpose is always a spiritual one... deepening the relationship with the Spirit that has been "poured into our hearts."

There is a fine introduction by William Dych, S.J. that lays out the key themes in De Mello's thought. It is clear that de Mello is not writing theology but is inviting the reader into a new experience; the experience of the immanence and transcendence of God.

[de Mello] places great emphasis on the "beyondness" of God, God's transcendence of this world and everything in it.... We know God as the mystery in whom "we live and move and have our being' (Acts 17:28), that is the "known unknown." This does not render us totally silent, but it is a constant warning against absolutizing human concepts, human images, human formulas, or any of the human constructs and making them idols.... But equally important... is the immanence of God, that is, God's presence within and throughout God's creation.

As someone who preaches, it is tempting to look at this collection as a source for sermons. That would be using them contrary to their spirit.

Beware of applying the story to anyone (priest, mullah, church, neighbor) other than yourself. If you do so the story will do you damage. Every one of these stories is about you, no one else.... Read it the way one would read a medical book -- wondering if one has any of the symptoms; and not a psychology book -- thinking what typical specimens one's friends are. If you succomb to the temptation of seeking insight into others, the stories will do you damage.

This anthology is a fine introduction to de Mello's work. Read it at your own risk, you may open yourself to change.

Amazon.com: Anthony De Mello: Writings (Modern Spiritual Masters Series) (9781570752834): Anthony De Mello, William V. Dych: Gateway

The Big Question of Lent?

It's lent. I wondered when it would happen and it happened on Friday. I was asked the big question of lent. Maybe you've been asked this question. Maybe you've asked it of yourself.

"Why do we not eat meat on Fridays."

It seems like a very silly rule. If it is important, then why only on Fridays during lent?

I've come up with lots of good reasons over the years.

1. It puts us in solidarity with most of the world's population, who cannot eat meat anytime.
2. It reminds us that meat is a luxury item.
3. It strengthens our identity as Catholics.
   
4. It simplifies our diet and deepens our appreciation of creation.
   
5. It harkens back to the dietary laws in the Old Testament
6. Friday is the day Jesus died and Fridays have been days of penance from the earliest days of the church, and still are.
7. Those Friday fish fries are just so much fun.

But when my daughter asked me this question on Friday I had a new insight. It is an arbitrary rule. Maybe that's the point. It is out of my control. I didn't choose it. It is not a rule of my making. My other lenten penances are "mine." I chose them. This one I did not. It's like the weather. It just is what it is and I can choose to accept it joyfully, grumble about it, or even ignore it... but I can't make it go away.

That made me think about all the things in life that I can't control. How do I react to them? Maybe this rule about not eating meat on Fridays is teaching me, just a little, how to let go of my need to control, my need to be in control. Maybe its teaching me I'm not God.

Postcards from beyond.

Postcards from beyond. That is how Eknath Easwaran describes the sacred texts of India. It would also be a fitting description of this collection of writings of Abhishiktananda.



Born in France and trained in the French Benedictine monasticism of the pre-Vatican II era, Henri le Saux (1910-1973), who became Abhishiktananda, traveled to India and immersed himself in Hinduism.

Reading the story of Abhishiktananda's life that begins this volume reveals a man who was exceptionally passionate and sensitive.

A monk cannot accept mediocrity; only extremes are appropriate for him (45).

He loved everything good, true, and beautiful and was willing to hold the tension that this love required. Instead of solving these tensions superficially and being satisfied with that, Abhishiktananda allowed this tension to drive him deeper into his own soul. It was the inner conflicts and tensions that shaped this man. It was the tension of loving the other, in this case another religious tradition, that drove Abhishiktananda's spirit.

All of the writings in this collection are, at least in the broad sense, autobiographical. Abhishiktananda was concerned with experience, not theory.

All notions are burned in the fire of experience (198).

These writings are rooted in his own mystical journey, a journey which is often difficult and dangerous.



Several key themes emerge in the writings. The first, already mentioned, is Abhishiktananda's focus on experience. He is not primarily concerned about conceptual understanding but a meeting of Hinduism and Christianity at the level of being or experience. Of the conceptual tools that Abhishiktananda uses to explore this meeting, the Christian mystery of the Trinity and the Paschal mystery are central. These concepts are brought into dialogue with the Hindu concept of Advaita (non-duality) and Saccidananda (from Sat = Being, Cit = Consciousness, Ananda = Bliss). Christ is brought into conversation with the Hindu concept of Guru where Christ is described as the Sad-Guru (true guru) and the church is described as his body. The tension between East and West is also discussed with India and the East representing the "Within" and Abhishiktananda counseling that the West needs to embrace the gift of interiority that India offers, but that it can only be accepted on its own terms. There is also a beautiful discussion of inculturation in a letter that Abhishiktananda writes to would-be missionaries to India. As you can see, this book covers a lot of ground!



A few notes on the structure of the book... The book is a little over 200 pages and divided into nine chapters: 1) Benedictine Monk, 2) Advaita, 3) East-West, 4) Immersion in Hinduism, 5) The Life of the Hermit, 6) Christianity, 7) God, 8) Prayer, and 9) Awakening. The writings are roughly chronological so one gets the idea of the development of Abhishiktananda's thought. No selection is more than a few pages long and a few or only a sentence. The average selection is about a page in length. Selections are drawn both from Abhishiktananda's published works and from his letters. There is a brief glossary of Sanskrit terms at the beginning of the book.



The book is certainly worth reading. The selections provide a lot of material for reflection and perhaps even prayer. It is obvious that Abhishiktananda was a pioneer in inter-religious dialogue. His insights shed new light on familiar Christian teachings and invite deeper exploration. Some Christians may be put off by Abhishiktananda''s approach which relativizes Christian dogma and doctrine. Abhishiktananda himself struggled with that fact. In the end, he attempts to remain faithful to his experience.

One who knows several mental (or religious or spiritual) languages is incapable of absolutizing any formulations whatever -- of the gospel, of the Upanishads, of Buddhism, etc. He can only bear witness to an experience -- about which he can only stammer (205).

This stammering witness to the truth of his experience has a lot to teach us.

Peace in the Post-Christian Era

What does a book written by a monk addressing the concerns of the cold
war have to teach us today? Plenty.

Thomas Merton is an insightful teacher in this book. He explores the
issues of war and peace in the context of the cold war. While many of
the concerns Merton addresses have lost their relevance, the
principles Merton presents force the reader to consider when force is
necessary and how it should be used if it is. As I see it, the
fundamental thesis of these essays is found in the essay "Can We
Choose Peace." Here Merton writes,

"There are very strict limits set upon his [the Christians] exercise
of the right to defend himself and his nation by force, and there are
also strict limits upon his willing submission to evil and to
violence." (10)

In this book, Merton applies the classic just war criteria very
strictly, to the point that I wondered if he would ever consider the
use of force justified. I discussed this book with a group of men
and we had to keep reminding each other that the choice that Merton is
advocating is NOT simple passivity in the face of evil. However,
Merton is clear that the use of force must always be as a last resort
and in proportion to the good being defended (a particularly important
issue in an age of "mutually assured destruction"). Merton challenges
readers to think creatively and find alternatives to violence.

"As Cardinal Newman so rightly said, the greatest victories of the
church were all won before Constantine, in the days when there were no
Christian armies and when the true Christian soldier was the martyr,
whose witness to Christ was nonviolent. It was the martyrs who
conquered Rome for Christ with a conquest that has been stable for
twenty centuries. How long were the crusaders able to hold Jerusalem?
(129)"

I believe that the theory and practice of nonviolence has made some
progress in the time since Merton. The work of Gandhi and Martin
Luther King, Jr. have demonstrated the power of alternatives to
violence. It is sad that it has not come further. Merton's book is a
powerful reminder that the principles and practice of nonviolence are
intimately connected with the principles and practice of Christianity.
I enjoyed the book a great deal. However, it is not the first Merton
book I would recommend. The tone of the book is often shrill. Given
the fact that the book was written in shortly before the Bay of Pigs
this tone makes sense. On this topic, I would recommend the essay
"The Root of War is Fear" for a less "panicked" approach to the
question of war and peace by Merton.

G.K. Chesterton: Esential Writings

I was surprised to see a volume on G.K. Chesterton in the Modern Spiritual Masters series from Orbis book. I've thought of GKC as a literary figure and as an apologist, but not a spiritual master. After reading the book, I am not ready to call GKC a "spiritual master" but I have a deeper appreciation of this man's passion for God and clear thinking.

The editor of the volume, William Griffin, sorted through GKC's vast amount of writing and selected 175 pages of text. Many of the texts are drawn from GKC's works Orthodoxy and Heretics. The volume concludes with a transcript of the famous debate with George Bernard Shaw about Distributism (an economic theory which GKC promoted). None of Chesterton's poetry or fiction is included in this anthology.

In his helpful, and at times funny, introduction, Griffin points out 3 characteristics of GKC's life and writings indicating the key characteristics of his spirituality. The notes preceding each selection highlight how each of these characteristics is present in the passage. The first two charateristics of "Paradoxy" and "Hilarity" are familiar to anyone who has read GKC before. GKC is a master of paradox and often uses parodox to point to mystery and absurdity. "Hilarity" is more difficult to pin down and depends on your sense of humor. I enjoy GKC's wit but know that it is not to everyone's taste. "Humility" is the third characteristic pointed out. It is not a virtue I would have associated with GKC. This anthology didn't convince me. While GKC is humble, in the sense of being rooted in reality, his intellectual flights are hard to reconcile with the earthiness I associate with humility. His thought always seems a little "airy" to me.

The writings are classified into seven sections which are not clearly defined but go under the titles: "Habits of the Heart," "Habits of Mind," "Habits of Soul," "Habits of Observance," "Habits of Discernment," "Habits of Belief," and "Habits of Debate."

Overall, the book is worth reading. If you like GKC already you will have a chance to appreciate him anew. If you don't know GKC you will get a nice taste of his non-fiction work. If you don't like GKC you will find more of what you don't like.

A brief note on the Modern Spiritual Masters series. I am excited by the volumes presented so far. These volumes offer a broad selection of writers. They are a nice size and feel good in the hands (never to be underestimated). They are short enough to be an introduction, but long enough to have some substance. Thank you again, Orbis books!

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

Before I read "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron, I would have written a scathing review. I wanted to write a critical review,
exposing the books weaknesses. The review I imagined myself writing had sentence like, "Cameron fails to acknowledge the role of redemptive suffering in her book." However, I realized that the
review I would have written was judging the book unfairly. The book is a book about enhancing creativity, or "unblocking the artist" as Cameron might say. It is not a book trying to explain everything. It makes no claim to be a book of comprehensive spirituality or theology.
In fact, Cameron distances herself from both. It is a workbook that invites the reader to explore and engage their creative selves. In this, the book succeeds.

Cameron walks the reader through a twelve week process of creative
recovery. Using short essays on specific themes, several suggested
tasks for each week, and two fundamental tools, Cameron encourages the
reader to explore the blocks to their creativity and offers various
practices to help overcome these blocks.

The essays, while short, cover a lot of ground. They are clearly written. Several of these essays hit me between the eyes. They forced me to see my own fears and resistance.These exploratory essays provide lots of food for thought. Excuses for not doing creative work are explored, exposed, and dismissed. And that is their fundamental purpose, to make the "blocked" artist engage in the work of "unblocking."

The weekly tasks offer a way of exploring resistance. Some take a
positive approach. For example, collecting images to nourish your
inner artist (described by Cameron as like a child). Others take the
opposite approach. For example, giving your inner censor (the part of
you that constantly criticizes your inner artist) a name and a face.
Cameron assigns several of these tasks each week and gives the reader
free reign in picking the ones that will be most helpful.

The two fundamental practices are the Morning Pages and the Artist's
Date. The Morning Pages are three pages written longhand every
morning to clear the junk away, much like a meditation practice. I
found these pages extremely helpful. The Artist's Date is a weekly
outing with one's inner artist to nourish this child's soul. This was
much more challenging for me. This is certainly not Cameron's fault
and I believe she is right in recommending this practice. I am still
too much of a workaholic to engage in the Artist's Date, but I am
working on it!

Overall, I see the work I put into this book as time well spent. I
would encourage anyone who wants to explore their creative selves to
give this book a try. It doesn't do everything, but what it does is worth the effort!
--
Peace,

Lincoln
http://exploringthekingdom.blogspot.com/