The Contemplative Outook: If you want to see and know God, FOSTER WONDER.
We desire to know the heart of God; in response to our desire, God invites us to foster a sense of wonder – what St. John Paul II called the “contemplative outlook.” This is when we do not take “possession of reality but instead accept it as a gift, discovering in all things the reflection of the Creator and seeing in every person his living image” (Evangelium Vitae 83). It counteracts the effect of what Pope Francis has called our “throw-away culture,” for by shutting out the external and internal noise that fills our lives, we can come to be aware of God declaring Himself through His works. Even in the city, it is possible to experience sunlight glinting on an urban river or cherry blossoms fluttering in the wind. It can be found in the sub-creations of man as well, through beautiful music, art, or literature. In the words of C.S. Lewis, “shut your mouth; open your eyes and ears.”
Adjusting our attitudes: Let’s shift from quick selfies to reverently awaiting the deeper realities
We can change the way we approach reality. In his memoir Wind, Sands, and Stars, Antoine de Saint-Exupery tells the story of three desert tribesmen in the early 20th century who were brought for the first time before a waterfall in the Alps. “Mute, solemn, they had stood gazing at the unfolding of a ceremonial mystery. That which came roaring out of the belly of the mountain was life itself, was the life-blood of man. … Here God was manifesting Himself: it would not do to turn one’s back on Him. … ‘That is all there is to see,’ their guide had said. ‘Come.’ ‘We must wait.’ ‘Wait for what?’ ‘The end.’ They were awaiting the moment when God would grow weary of His madness.” Compare this to the typical modern tourist, moving quickly from site to site snapping selfies. The capacity to see life in its deeper meaning rests in the virtue of reverence. Instead of creating our own online world, where we are at the center and consume as much information and noise as possible, let us allow reality – being – to reveal itself to us. Only reverence “leaves to being the possibility of unveiling its essence and makes man capable of grasping values. To whom will the sublime beauty of a sunset or the Ninth Symphony of Beethoven reveal itself, but to him who approaches it reverently and unlocks his heart to it? To whom will the mystery which lies in life and which manifests itself in every plant reveal itself in its full splendor, but to the person who contemplates it reverently?”
PRACTICAL TIPS:
Be Open to WONDER
1. Let your heart capture the moment, not your cell phone: Fully receive and experience with your ears, eyes, heart, and mind. Risk it – turn off your phone every now and then and just live the moment!
2. Get beyond yourself: Look, be attentive and delight in the people and events around you. See the bigger picture. Don’t miss the moments.
3. Live in the present moment: Relax. Be present. Don’t bring work and other activities into time with your loved ones.
4. Be receptive: Get up early, when it is still dark, go outside and watch the sunrise. Listen to the birds sing. Open your heart to receive and be nourished by the beauty.
Originally printed in IMPRINT Magazine Spring 2018.
