A Life of Prayer

To quote Thich Nhat Hanh from the film, The Power of Forgiveness, by Martin Doblmeier, "A life of meditation is a life lived deeply." For those of the faith family who have so chosen, our shared Lenten journey has been to ponder 'forgiveness'. Drawing from Thich Nhat Hanh's observation, and remembering that he also calls us to consider that a prerequisite to being able to forgive is becoming compassionate, our Lenten conversation mulled the notion of moving towards compassion by living deeply a life of prayer.

In the Evangelical Catechism of my youth, the definition of prayer is, "Prayer is the conversation of the heart with God . . . " (No. 101) If one understands conversation as both speaking and listening, and if prayer is such a conversation of the heart with God, then living deeply a life of prayer is to participate in a conversation of the heart with God on an ongoing basis. Life so lived, as Thich Nhat Hanh so aptly and quietly speaks, is a deeply compassionate life. It is at this juncture that we can begin to understand Hanh's assertion that other people are not our enemies, but misunderstanding, discrimination, violence, hate, and anger are our enemies. A life lived deeply in prayer is a life moving toward understanding, toward acceptance, toward peace, toward love, and toward joy. Such a life, by its very nature, has the capacity to forgive precisely because it is a life lived at the crossroads of compassion and prayer.

Dare we to live in such a manner so completely, what would become the shape and scope of our world? How would farmers farm differently? How would pastors pastor differently? How would bankers bank differently? How would teachers teach differently? How would the members of government govern differently? How would merchants sell differently? How would courts execute justice differently? How would stock brokers transact differently? How would petroleum companies refine differently? How would administrators administrate differently?

The life lived deeply in prayer, the life lived deeply in conversation with God, is the life Jesus modeled as He walked the earth . . . and we crucify Him still for so living. For such a life is a life lived in the Light of God, a Light which shines upon all that it encounters. In the face of such a Light our unholiness is unbearable to observe, even by our own eyes. In the face of such a Light our unwillingness to be in prayer is made public and we are humiliated by our own choices. In the face of such a Light we draw ourselves into the darkness of the shadows and that which we will not change becomes the tomb of our dying souls.

And Jesus prays from the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Forgive us for not walking deeply in prayer. Forgive us for not listening to You. Forgive us for striking out at your extended hand of Love. Forgive us for not meeting You at the crossroads of compassion and prayer, because the way we choose to live makes us too tired to stay up with You in prayer. How many times do we leave You in the garden alone in prayer because a life of prayer is, perhaps, the most demanding life to live? And, how many times are we left despising our denials of You because we don't want anyone to demand anything of us that we don't want to give?

Such notions give a whole new meaning to the disciples request of Jesus, "Lord, teach us how to pray." What Jesus teaches is more than a rote prayer, He teaches a conversation of the heart with God, even unto death on the cross. The empty tomb is God's answer for us to hear.

May we so live, today and always.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don