Lent 2 Gratitude as a Spiritual practice: Fr. Nicholas
‘In everything give thanks’ 1 Thess 5:18
The French philosopher Gaston Bachelard, (1884 – 1962) writes in his beautiful book on architecture, The Poetics of Space:
“Each one of us, then, should speak of his roads, his crossroads, his roadside benches; each one should make a surveyors map of his lost fields and meadows… Space calls for action and before action the imagination is at work” (page 60)
Lent is above all a season to make space to survey our metaphorical roads and make use of our imagination to envision new possibilities. Every moment brings us to a crossroad. Action or inaction, everything is a decision expressing a faith, a trust, a feeling.
Execution on the cross was reserved for political troublemakers. Heretics were stoned to death by the mob. Jesus’ teaching troubled the ‘polis’ the city. Jesus’ refusal of violence as a response together with his hospitality and welcome of all, flowed from the profound sense of thanksgiving for the gift not only of his life but of the deep authentic life of the Spirit.
As Benedictine Brother David Stendl-Rast writes ‘I am through you.’ This phrase reminds us that we become who we are through our relationships. We all have the possibility of being a gift to the other and receiving through others. Gratitude flows from this insight and indeed Brother David is the founder of www.gratefuleness.org His life models gratefulness or gratitude. The opposite writes biologist Rupert Sheldrake, is a sense of entitlement.
‘Our everyday life in a money-based economy heightens ingratitude because there is no need to feel grateful for a service we pay for’ (page 47 Science and Spiritual Practice’)
Sheldrake adds that entitlement leads to depersonalisation. We come to value others because of their status or wealth. We begin to blame others, people experiencing poverty, refugees and those searching for work, Envy is another of the sour fruits of ingratitude. Its no wonder that the wandering Jesus, healing, and teaching people that God was among them caused hostility. Jesus made space for people to freely imagine a different kind of future.
Jesus is a reflective and reflexive teacher. To be reflexive is to question our questions and assumptions. The space for this practice emerges from a profound sense that life is a gift and from this insight gratitude and generosity. An inner sense of freedom begins to blossom within us.
‘all of us are here only because our planet exists, and life on earth has evolved over billions of years to give us this living planet on which we totally depend’ (Sheldrake p48)
Our existence is not the result of a blind mechanical universe but comes from ‘God’ and therefore we may give thanks for the web of life of which we are part. Paul writes, ‘in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus’
There are many tragedies in life, we experience or witness great suffering sometimes caused by others. We gaze on the cross through which Jesus, and doubtless countless innocent others were unjustly put to death by the occupation army. Today people are tortured or treated cruelly. We cannot be thankful for the cross or indeed for any evil, but we can find ways to be thankful in that situation. Perhaps in a dark moment another person noticed or held our hand and we felt that human bond. Animals that share our lives can often sense our mood and offer comfort. Gratitude emerges to bless us.
‘Space calls for action and before action the imagination is at work’ writes Bachelard.
In our faith the Eucharist (a word that means thanksgiving) is at the centre of our community. We are nourished by Scripture, words, and stories brough to life by imagination. We imagine others in compassionate prayer before breaking bread and blessing wine, ‘which earth has given and human hands have made’ We choose to stand with Jesus and his radical inclusive vision.
One practice that we can adopt as a response to the gift of life is saying grace over our meals. Beyond set words we see, touch, smell and taste the food. We reflect on its origins and all the people involved in its preparation from farm gate to our plate. We ask ourselves about issues of justice and we may begin a conversation about the ethics of our plate as well as enjoying our meal. We engage in reflective and reflexive thinking. We may choose to act.
‘If indeed I am through you’ we cross into abundance which is of course the resurrection at each crossroad. We are grateful in every circumstance.
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