Nothing hard

I met him about 9 years ago in a used bookstore.   I wanted someone wise to tell me how to have enough time.   I wanted to know the secret of finding the sacred in everything and how to believe it was enough.  It was Kathleen Norris who introduced me to him.  I was reading, "The Cloister Walk", and she told me that the Benedictines always believed there was enough time in each day for work, study, rest and prayer.  I envied Norris’ proximity to a Benedictine monastery where she would go to pray with them.  As a mother who worked full time outside the home, and someone who cared way too much what others thought of her, and someone who on any given day was known to have crying fits because, well just because, I was intrigued by the idea of a life rule.    I am by no means an expert on Benedictine spirituality or even well read on the subject, but I do have a lot of books with the word Benedictine in the title.  I did read a biography on St. Benedict once and I must confess if I ever went to the divinity school, I would be tempted to research his life.  I also would absolutely love for bells to ring seven times a day to remind me to pray.  (And yes, I am well aware there is an app for that, but that defeats the point I think).

I wonder what he would say about my life or the lives of American Christians today.  I come from a place that says if you love Jesus; you must shout it really, really loud and wear a bracelet that asks WWJD or a lapel pin that says Jesus is the reason for the season.   I live in a world that cannot be without for one moment:  constant noise, constant electronic access to everything and anything and anyone, iPhones, computers, TV, electronic media.  I have been known to stay up too late and drink way too much caffeine just to finish a blog and writing isn’t even my full time job and I would starve if it were.  What would he say about my son who plays Call of Duty or Black Ops?  What would he say about our intense obsession with social media and our inability to be silent for a moment?

Benedict was known for his sound reason.  I need more reason in my life.  In the Bible belt south, Christianity taught me that if I love Jesus, I must shout it really loud and the louder I shout, the more Jesus loves me.  My Christian culture taught me to go out alone and do something really big for God and that doing something great and individual and all by myself proved my worth.  I come from a culture that demands short term mission trips to every corner of the world, working at the Food Bank four times a year, praying really, long flowery prayers, committing to Bible studies that last longer and are more involved than any divinity school course, choosing CHURCH above everything and proving that my “right” is “righter” than your “right.”  My culture tells me that I am measured by how much I do and how much I produce.

Your wisdom said prefer nothing to Christ.    You said nothing matters but that I love Christ and that the work of God…is  PRAYER. You said nothing was more glorified than humility.  You said be quiet and say little.  You said welcome everyone as if or did you mean they are Christ?   I think you did.  You said that nothing should be harsh or burdensome.  You said nothing mattered more than charity, kindness and gentleness. 

And my favorite thing that you said…Always we begin again.  Always we begin again.  Every day is a new beginning.  You knew the secret of time was realizing we have enough time for work, study, prayer and REST.  You knew the secret of the abundant life was living in the moment and that the best future was a thankful now.  You knew that more, better, faster, noisier wasn’t going to provide enough.  You knew that really all Christ expects is that we love him.  You knew that community was the only way we grow up.  You knew that humility and gentleness and simple kindness was the only way to have a good life. 

I don’t know my dear friend Benedict if you would have had a blog, an iPhone, and Facebook friends, drank Starbucks twice daily, worked 80 hours a week or served on a church committee.  I don’t know dear Benedict if you would have shared your collective wisdom on twitter, worked on vacation or slept less than six hours a day.  I don’t know if the only community you would have had would have been electronic or if you would have had five email accounts.  I don’t know what you would have thought about social media or if you would have used the app to remind you to pray seven times a day.  I don’t know what you would have thought about all the challenges facing the postmodern church or just the challenges facing the mom who just wants to raise grounded kids, be Godly and love her family and friends to the best of her ability, but I do know you would have said the solution is this:

Prefer nothing to the love of Christ.
Be quiet.  Say little.
Pray often.
Practice humility.
Be kind.
Be gentle.
Welcome everyone.
Sleep.
Eat.
Work.
Pray.
Love.


All is grace and grateful for the present moment…the now of…

Gifts in August that are white:
Basil flowers
The next to the last full moon of summer
Heavy Cream
Gifts that are eaten:
Homemade vanilla ice cream made with fresh cream and vanilla bean
Tomatoes eaten in the garden just after you pick them before you get them inside
Grilled pork chops
Gifts in water:
dish detergent suds
shampoo
ice
Gifts at 10 am, 1 pm, 10 pm:
Asked:  would you have the surgery?
The movie:  The Perfect Game starring Cheech Marin as a priest!
Sleeping
Gifts sitting down
Tyler Perry’s Madea Movies
Rubbing Vaseline on your feet
Breathing