Glass Walls
November 11, 2008
“Jesus was lead by the Spirit in the wilderness”
(Lk 4:1)At the centre of Carthusian life is the hermitage. The community life brings together a group of hermits. It is in solitude that the heart is deepened and inhabited. The hermitage is a place above all of communion with God and, paradoxically, with man. The monk is “never less alone than when alone.” Little by little his heart will be is enlarged to the dimensions of Christ’s love encompassing everything and every person in heaven and on earth. His cell, as it were, has “glass walls”. Apart from all, to all we are united.
From the Parkminster Website
Such a beautiful concept! The Monk’s cell has “glass walls”, through which he can see the whole wrold with the eyes of the Spirit. Far from being cut off from the world, the contemplative life is intrinsically bound up with it; through prayer, God changes our hearts, so that they beat in time with His, and with those of the whole world. It is our humanity, bound up with His humanity which connects us to all humanity.
We may not have a physical cell, but we have the cell of the heart, the place where God resides. Is our heart closed off, or does it too have “glass walls”? Can we take the risk to open our hearts to the pains, joys, loves and concerns of others; to feel what others feel, to share in the sorrows and sufferings of the world? To do so in prayer is to seek and find the Heart of God, which bleeds for all.
The world is both disturbed and disturbing. If we engage with it, we will find much which we would rather turn away from. It is far easier to turn our face away, walk on the other side of the road, convince ourselves of our own righteousness and others’ depravity. What would happen if we witheld judgement and sought to discover the humanity and love in every human heart, however deeply buried? To embrace and love, instead of to reject and hate?
Through prayer, God has given us a mighty weapon of love if we can empty our “cell” of self and allow Him to fill it. Then we can risk allowing all of humanity into our cell, because it is not us, but God, who resides there, and God is big enough…
God is infinitely big enough!
Interesting…. I immediately saw that the other way round – if my cell has glass walls then all can see in – all becomes transparent – which means that everything I do has to be without fault, honouring to God. And if my heart is also to have glass walls, then it is open to be seen, to be examined….. now that’s a scary thought!
A Carthusians monk’s life is hidden from all but God and their brothers, but for us in the world, we are seen by all around us, and yes, I think it is a two way thing
I will hold that thought and ponder on it!