Reflection
involves thinking and consideration. Ever walk into a grocery store and try to
decide between two brands of the same product? That could be considered a
reflection, in a very broad sense because a choice had to be made based on what
was important: price, sugar content, nutritional value, etc. Reflection is also
a spiritual practice that also involves thinking and consideration. Theological
reflections can happen with even the most simple and sometimes the most
un-spiritual things that can be imagined. Take, for instance, an advertisement
in a magazine for a particular brand of cell phone. The ad read, “All you’ll
ever need.” Really? Is a cell phone all anyone would need? Is that what our
culture is telling us? What is your personal position on this? Does it ring
true for you? What does our religious tradition (hymns, scripture, lives of the
saints, etc.) say about all you’ll ever need? Does this train of thought make
you more aware of something in your own life, induces you to some action,
perhaps making some change in how you see things? Congratulations. You’ve just
done a mini-theological reflection. And it probably didn’t hurt a bit. Advent
is a great time to learn new spiritual practices – and practice them.
Resting is the
fourth step of a Lectio Divina
reflection. The Latin term for it is contemplatio,
contemplation. As you sit quietly following reading (lectio), meditating (meditatio),
and praying (oratio), try to feel
God’s presence sitting with you. Listen for what God wants to say to you, or
simply sit with God in companionable silence. During this period of contemplatio, as with theological
reflection, a new direction in life, a new way of thinking or a new
understanding may occur that motivate you to action. That might be God’s way of
encouraging you to try something new—like trying another theological reflection
or lectio divina. Or maybe it could
be something life-changing and unexpected, a revealing of a passion that hadn’t
been noticed and one that can meet a need in a world with a lot of needs.
Some churches have retreats
at various times of the year, Advent being one of them. Retreats are times
where a person turns off the cell phone and the tablet, finds a quiet place and
spends time in prayer, meditation and reflection, either alone or in a group. Retreats
can last a month or just a few hours. They can be lead by a priest, a
religious, or a lay person. There are even online retreats for those who can’t
get away but who are interested in this type of spiritual practice. Getting
away from everyday life, though, is often a life- and sanity-saving experience,
offering a chance to be quiet with no outside demands, learning new spiritual
practices, and most of all, a chance to experience external silence which can
lead to a better understanding of how to quiet internal noise that can get in
the way of prayer, meditation or other spiritual practices. Most importantly,
retreats can reconnect a person with God in a deeper, richer way. During
Advent, that can be a true gift to oneself.
Reconciliation is
a state of putting people back together after some sort of rift in the
relationship. One of the greatest examples of reconciliation took place in
South Africa where the Truth and Reconciliation Commission brought together
victims of apartheid and all its accompanying evils with the perpetrators who
had injured them in some way. The purpose wasn’t exclusively to get the
tormentors/killers to confess or to apologize for their wrongdoing so much as
to give the victims an opportunity to face their nightmares, speak their truth
and be heard. Often apologies did come, but for the speakers, reconciliation
and healing was begun simply by speaking words they could not speak before, and
to the people who caused their suffering. Each of us has no doubt had to face
someone, either someone we’ve wronged or someone who has wronged us, and spoken
our truth, not necessarily to make amends or to be forgiven but because we
needed to face the situation and move off dead center. We reconcile to God the
same way, by speaking of what we’ve done for which we need forgiveness. It
isn’t for God we confess those wrongs, it is for ourselves. Advent is a good
time to practice confession, make amends and practice reconciliation.
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