Richard Rohr reminds us, “To be a Christian is to objectively know that we share the same identity that Jesus enjoyed as both human and divine, which is what it means to “follow” him.”
I follow Jesus when I remember that I am both human and divine. My humanity is an expression of my divinity. My divinity allows my humanity to live and thrive.
How do I live and thrive from my divinity? My silent prayer practice teaches me how to live. The path I have chosen is centering prayer.
During silent prayer I connect to the Spirit of God within. Together we sit. No words need to be spoken. I like to sit first thing in the morning. It is the best way to begin the day. I sit again in the early afternoon. My actions in life spring forth from this connection.
During the day I also need to pause. Sometimes I take a short, silent pause. Other times I pray verbally and then take a silent pause.
Centering prayer and silent pauses reconnect me to my inner Spirit. My inner Spirit is the seed from which my human actions sprout. Centering prayer and silent pauses water my inner Spirit.
As I water the inner Spirit its roots grow deep. My human actions rely on these deep roots. The roots will die without daily watering. My daily watering is silent prayer and silent pauses. Silent prayer nourishes my roots. It keeps them alive, healthy and vibrant!
Silent prayer and human actions need each other! They balance me! I need both. They make me whole. I need my inner divinity to be human. My inner divinity relies on my human actions for their expression.
I agree with Richard Rohr! I will continue to practice centering prayer and silent pauses. My inner divinity and humanity need this time to sit quietly together.
My inner divinity and humanity arise from the silence united and ready for action. This is how I follow Jesus.
Go Further:
Healing the Divide: Recovering Christianity’s Mystic Roots by Amos Smith
The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See by Richard Rohr
Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer by Richard Rohr
The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation by Richard Rohr
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