A Virtual Monastery
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How often have we heard “God helps those who help themselves?” Well, I recently had a lesson in that for these challenging days of pandemic, political and social schism, and the 24/7 drama of television and social media.
For a while, I didn’t understand why it was upsetting me so much until I realized that it was resonating with my baser nature – self-righteous, “justified” anger, among other things – at the expense of what God asks of me. So I knew I had to do something about it. I prayed, talked with a few wise friends, and was blessed with an “aha!” moment: I needed to take some action! And that, in these days of Zoom meetings and other “virtual” experiences, was to construct a “virtual monastery” for myself to keep the noise out. I began by cutting out all social media and television news and spending more time in prayer and contemplation. (The news comes to me via two daily newspapers.) I didn’t turn my cell phone on until 8 a.m., after breakfast and morning prayer. And in that place of peace and quiet, I discovered that God was no longer drowned out. God could speak clearly to my mind and heart once more.
Micah’s voice: “This is what the Lord asks of you: to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God.” John’s voice in his first Epistle: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God.” And Jesus himself: “ I give you a new commandment – that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ” So let’s join together, my sisters and brothers, and make room for God to get back in, and then – refreshed and at peace – go out into the world and do our best to model God’s message in all we do.
Let us pray this prayer from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer:
O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect. Amen
Daily Message Author: Bob Griffiths
Bob is the former Chaplain at the Pines of Sarasota, southwest Florida’s oldest and largest not-for-profit senior care facility. Prior to joining the staff in 2010, Bob worked in hospice chaplaincy for seven years. He is the past Spiritual Life Director at St. Boniface Episcopal Church, Sarasota and is an Associate of the Order of the Holy Cross, an Episcopal Benedictine religious order.
