Contemplation in a World of Action - 4 of 6

Before I start this post, you can see that I have settled on a total of 6 posts for this book. I have already, and will continue to pass over sections of the book which were good, but didn't apply as much to my life. Enjoy.

Openness to the World.

When I was in University, I had a friend who tried to convince me that the only way that we could understand and really accept people was that we needed to experience what they do. The conversation was specifically to do with consuming illegal drugs, but it can be expanded to issues such as premarital sex.

If you can't tell, I don't believe this at all. I think that we must model Christ in our actions, for when He went into the world he did not partake of the world, he just brought Himself and His unending love.

For me though, the issue has rarely been the draw of the world to do what they are doing - for I so often enclose myself in my cloister of friends that are all Christians - instead it has been to understand how to be

... "openness" to the world means involvement in the affairs of people outside the cloister, identification with them in their desires, problems, struggles, dangers; it means vital concern about a world of total war, genocide, race riots, social injustice, misery, poverty, violence, lust, every kind of disorder. All this is wicked and ungodly.


I struggle with this idea. How do I strike balance between living in the world but not of the world? I feel it is where God places me. Outside of divine inspiration I will never be able to understand the prostitute on East Hastings.

The following is how Merton describes being open to the world:

a) .. being "open to the world" means being aware of and responsive to the real situation of people in the world, the critical problems of the world.


b) Being "open to the world" means being more accessible to people of flesh and blood who are brought by God , in one way or other, to our doorstep.


c) Does openness to the world mean going out of the cloister more freely? .... In the contemplative life, action exists for the sake of contemplation and vice versa. The openness of the contemplative is justified insofar as it enables him to be a better contemplative and to share with others the fruit of his contemplation.


Aware. Accessible. To Go. Simple eh? It is so easy to cloister ourselves and put our blinders on and forget that there is a hurting world around us. I am getting tired tonight, and really want to finish this post, so I will not leave you with my words, but with Mertons.

The real purpose of openness is to renew life in the Spirit, life in love.

If we face in a courageous spirit of faith, the Holy Spirit will take care of the rest.