Contemplation and action

Matthew 14 : 22 - 36

he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray....

....Jesus went out to them.....

Being able to hold in creative tension the life of prayer and a life of active service is a great challenge for most of us. It is indeed wonderful to be able to set times aside for prayer, and as a matter of discipline we should. But life is not as orderly as we would like it to be. Even though I seek the quiet of the morning for prayer, there are times when I have a morning slot at work, and my prayer time is much shortened. But I realize that if my set aside time were anywhere else in the day, there would probably be far more disruptions. The pace of life today does not support the quieter rhythm that easily holds together prayer and action.

It was not too easy for Jesus either because needy people sought him out. Twice he felt the need to go away to a solitary place (14: 13, 23). The first time, he had heard about the cruel death of his cousin John and may have felt the need to process this news, in prayer. But the needs of the crowds came first for him - and with compassion, he healed and fed them. Then, he withdrew again, alone, to a mountainside. This time, his disciples' boat was buffeted by a storm. Jesus saw their need, and came out to them on the water. His time alone had again to be set aside because of the needs before him.

There is no easy balance between action and contemplation. Even in our ordinary lives, things can be messy, needs come up - and we find ourselves having to respond because we do care. In daily life, prayer and action feed each other. Our prayer flows into action and our actions call us back to prayer again. What helps is to be able to see all things in God (with his perspective) and God in all things (finding his presence even in the most harried of days).