I often struggle with spiritual practices specifically with how they can actually impact our world. Sometimes I wonder I bother at all. It’s just Christianized navel-gazing. And yet…and yet…
What good is sitting in silence for 30 minutes of contemplative prayer every day going to do when there are racist groups in our communities?
It’s a fair question that I have pondered very often. I have a few responses:
Contemplation changes us into compassionate people.
Contemplation can help those in the grip of hate face their false selves—the false selves that drive so much of their hatred.
Contemplation re-centers us in God’s generative love for us and for other people.
Mind you, I’m saying that contemplation can “help” as one part of a larger action plan. I don’t want to oversell this here. Meditation and prayer have long been viewed as integral parts of Christian social justice work. Some groups make them essential aspects that members agree to incorporate into their daily lives.
When I have encountered hate speech or hateful events in the news, they can…
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