'In the height of our technological barbarism,
monks must be as tress which exist silently in the dark,
and by their viral presence, purify the air.'
~Thomas Merton
The Candle on my desk is burning slowly and steadily. So steadily that the flame does not flicker at all. At times, it looks like a photo of a candle flame as it has no moment at all. Yet, it is hot, bright and alive.
As I sit in practice of Lectio Divina, I try to be the candle, so still, hot with silence, bright with spirit and alive with All. As Thomas Merton writes, 'In the height of technological barbarism,' I see how we tend to live a life dependent on activities and resources based on our use of technology. We often place value on the importance of our technological inventions and judge other ways - non technology - as less value. By not using and accessing these technical opportunities, we waste time. And time wasted by not using the technologies we have created is an ill-use of life/time.
While 3 tree stand strong, rooted in the ground, and reach towards the sky, we witness 'just' 3 trees purifying the air we breathe into billions and billions of molecules of oxygen - our breath for life. These 3 tree stand tall, without condition, save for the rain to feed and nourish their roots, to do nothing more than purify the air. Without this amazing natural technology, we would be breathless and struggle for life.
While 3 monks stand strong, rooted in their contemplation, and reach their arms towards the sky, we witness 'just' 3 monks thinking billions and billions of prayers, for the life we live, without condition, without even knowing us, without needing any repairs or reason from us to purify our world. Without this amazing spiritual technology, we would be hopeless and struggle for life.
Thomas Merton writes '...by their vital presence, they purify the air'. Their presence is something that we forget to see. Their presence is something we forget to feel. Their presence is something we forget to cherish. Those 3 trees, the forests, the greenery around us in each day, we sometimes don't see, but it is there providing the purity for each day we live. And it is vital.
Just one monk, sitting in silence, thinking, praying, blessing our very life - we don't see, we can't see, unlike the trees. But the presence from the silence of one monk's prayer, just one thought for hope, for peace, for love, and for life can be felt. It is what purifies life's energy flow that we all share universally. The balance we sometimes feel we don't have, would be further off balance, the peace we don't see in world affairs would be more hateful, the love we don't sense we have, would be further from our hearts without one monk's prayer.
Blessed are the silent, quiet binds the noise.
If each day, we took one minute, to think about one monk's prayer, or one minute, to look at one tree in it's unspoken release of purified air, we could find the small quiet moments of our heart's joy, soul's passion and life's goals may come to us... easier, quietly, and without condition.
Blessed Are The Trees.
