What a year 2020 has been!
There are many people who have written, commented and conspired over 2020. I have been mostly silent. I have found this year to be about reflection and inner work for me. I felt like I lost my voice in some ways and to those of you who have asked me: “Where did you go?” I had no words.
It seemed like there were just too many words every single day. Daily news updates and premier updates and conspiracy updates, COVID updates and social media updates. I found it hard to keep up.
The same month that COVID hit, I found out that my new darling baby sister Jayney was diagnosed with terminal cancer. POW. It knocked the breath right out of me. I had just found my sister in March 2019 and now 10 months later we were on a journey of working out how to say goodbye. No Words……
Last weekend we spent three days in Daylesford. Daylesford is a spiritual home for Jayne. It is where she feels the most at peace and the most connected. I wanted to spend more time with her in a place that was particularly special to her. Especially whilst Jayney was well enough to enjoy it. By some miracle after cancelling and re-booking four times we made it. We flew our eldest sister Faye down from Queensland. When we booked the flight we didn’t even know if she would be able to get back home. The border restrictions to Qld lifted the weekend we were away.
This is photo of all of us on what was a very emotional roller coaster of fun, tears, raucous laughter and a deep place of meeting each other.
This is not a blog about my family, I am sure that will come later. It is a blog on reflection. On space, on finding your breath after it has been knocked out of you.
Have you ever arrived at the place where you don’t have much to say?
Have you ever thought about these questions?
How is God/Universe at work in me?
Who am I?
How does the world need me?
These thoughts stem from a quote by Fredrich Buechner.
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
When all of these intersect we are filled with a deep gladness and this is where we find our personal calling or vocation. It is not mystical or magical, it is the deepest truth about who you are, how were created to be and where you intersect with the world around you. Often we don’t take the time that is needed to contemplate and reflect on these things about ourselves.
Meditation or contemplative prayer has been apart of Christian tradition since its earliest days.
It is an ancient principle that is proven to:
- reduce anxiety
- reduce stress
- and helps you to sleep.
We live in a society that rewards addictive behavior. Our lives are getting faster and faster and more is required of us every day. It’s vitally important that each of us take time each day for self-care. We need to learn to stop, reflect and breathe. The year 2020 has given us this opportunity whether we wanted it or not. We were forced to stop. The whole earth was forced to a standstill. We were all forced into small spaces, awkward places, uncomfortable places.
What is God saying to me today? How do I process this? How do I proceed? Can I just BE instead of DO?
In this addictive culture we often feel out of breath. Robert Mulholland makes a brilliant analogy between the contemplative life and the active life. In other words who we are and what we do. He likens it to breathing in and breathing out. Breathing in he explains is Spiritual Formation, and breathing out is the mission. Following Christ with no application to mission is like inhaling and not exhaling. Likewise if we are constantly doing without being we run out of breath and are forever exhausted.
I wonder how many of us have learned to breathe again this year?
I wonder how many of us will forget to breathe next year if and when normal life resumes?
The Benedictines emphasised a life that was balanced and sustainable. A life of quality and intentionality. We could all benefit by managing our time and being disciplined in the areas of spiritual reflection, work and education. This is an art not many have mastered in our fast paced society. The Benedictine teachings show us how to balance a life of study, work and prayer. They believe that you should live your life by example and be considerate to all. Enjoy relationships with family and community. Walk humbly before God and fellow-man with wisdom and love. This message and mandate has endured down through the centuries. Whilst empires and nations have risen and fallen monasticism managed to survive and remain resilient throughout the ages. It is an enduring legacy and model for all leaders but especially those who follow in the footsteps of Christ and the giants of the faith who have gone before us.
Sunday Everyday 
“ Yes “ Being Forced into Rest – Now the Merry – Go – Round Starts Up & Gains Momentum – Readjusting Our Focus into the Continuous – Almost A Year has Passed – Have We Found Ourselves in A Better Place ?
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It’s been an interesting social experiment. It will be fascinating to see how this all works out in the years to come.
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