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The late Indian Christian priest Anthony De Mello gave the following ...
The Master would frequently assert that holiness
was less a matter of what one did
than of what one allowed to happen.
To a group of disciples who had difficulty understanding that
he told the following story:
"There was once a one-legged dragon who said to the centipede,
'How do you manage all those legs?
It is all I can do to manage one.'
'To tell you the truth,' said the centipede,
'I do not manage them at all.'"
Comments
The Christ-centered contemplative grows in trust of Divine Governance. This Governance implies the Word is operating in nature and our lives for the good of all creatures.
The Christ-minded contemplative offers an alternative to those who seek to manage life in God's name. Resting in silent love daily is a way of saying, "There is a Life beyond managing life, where life becomes pure gift to be received in child-like trust."
Suggested Reflections
1) What is the difference between managing life and receiving life as a gift?
2) How would your life change if you trusted the Divine Presence enough to relinquish control and maintain a consistent posture of receptivity and gratitude?
3) How is the posture of faith-full receptivity embodied in the practice of Christian meditation and contemplation?
4) Why do you think we Christians often seek to manage our spiritual lives? ... churches seek to manage the work of the Church?
Suggested Exercise
Write a prayer expressing surrender to God and trust in the Divine governance of your life.
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