On Being a Contemplative in Action

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So a couple of weeks ago we had a radical break with tradition, and I (Alister) delivered a talk about the story of Jesus, Mary and Martha. It was based on a sermon I preached at Wesley Church in Melbourne on the 17th of July. We don't usually do that, but it made for an interesting change. Here's an excerpt

Life can feel very mysterious sometimes. Random, and often terrible, events fill our attention – a coup in Turkey, attacks in Paris, instability in the South China Sea. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it all. Is God somehow speaking through events? There are so many people claiming to speak for God, and other denying His existence altogether. In a culture which has a million and one different view on the subject, how can we know anything about God at all? And, just as importantly, how do we know how to live? What firm place can we stand on? Read more

I didn't go into a lot of detail about what I mean by being "contemplative in action." Suffice it to say that it is an Ignatian idea, and it refers, as I understand it, more to one's stance towards the world than exactly how much time one spends praying and being "contemplative." If you're interested, why not read more here?

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