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“… there was love behind my shut gate.”
on the way that fear and pain keep us away from love and each other
The readings to which I was exposed in my training as a spiritual director were wide, to say the least. There were ancient texts, scripture, and modern musings; Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross were required, but also writers who were Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant.
And then … there were the Quakers.
Of late, these have been the ones that have come forward for me.
Perhaps it is the emphasis on silence. As someone who also teaches meditation as part of my clinical practice, the emphasis on silence is welcomed.
We are opened in the silence; we are better able to listen.
Maybe it is the simplicity of Quaker worship, again, mostly in silence unless someone feels that “the light” is encouraging them to speak. For many of us, it is difficult to imagine a service with a shorter sermon, much less hardly any words at all!
Or it could be that even in a business meeting, there is silence, listening, waiting, and then consensus. Everyone’s voice is valued and heard.
But I am also reminded that after trauma and tragedy…
