"It must be emphasized over and over that daily life is the fundamental practice."
-- Thomas Keating, The Mystery of Christ
This may be the most difficult of all spiritual practices. I can go to church for a defined period of time on Sunday; I can earmark prayer time each day; I can even gain a healthy habit of Bible reading; I can do good works. But to embrace my entire daily life as a spiritual practice is another kind of challenge. It is not a question of saying, ‘Sure, come along God,’ but of saying yes to God’s way and accepting God as a constant companion. I love the idea, the longing is there, and yet, there are times when I want to go my merry way without God, and other times when it is difficult to bring God along.
But those are excuses. It’s not about being perfect and then making the commitment, but of making the commitment and then letting God bring me along.
-- Thomas Keating, The Mystery of Christ
This may be the most difficult of all spiritual practices. I can go to church for a defined period of time on Sunday; I can earmark prayer time each day; I can even gain a healthy habit of Bible reading; I can do good works. But to embrace my entire daily life as a spiritual practice is another kind of challenge. It is not a question of saying, ‘Sure, come along God,’ but of saying yes to God’s way and accepting God as a constant companion. I love the idea, the longing is there, and yet, there are times when I want to go my merry way without God, and other times when it is difficult to bring God along.
But those are excuses. It’s not about being perfect and then making the commitment, but of making the commitment and then letting God bring me along.
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