What does a 17th century monk have to say about peace in the present?
Once a year, I read the writings of a 17th century monk. Brother Lawrence was born in 1610 in a province of France. After sustaining a crippling injury in the Thirty Years War, he sought monastic life. Serving first as cook to a hundred other monks, Brother Lawrence lived his remaining years caring for the shoes of those in his monastery.
What draws me to read these short, collected works on occasion is the idea of practicing the presence of God. How do you lay aside the pursuits and distractions of life to be fully aware of God in every moment? Is it even possible?
Following the death of Brother Lawrence, his friends collected his writings for publication in order to preserve his unique instruction for the spiritual life. This collection was titled “The Practice of the Presence of God”. Brother Lawrence pursued God in every moment of every day and believed that faith was all that was required to live in peace.
His friend, Joseph de Beaufort, wrote of Brother Lawrence:
“Since he resolved to make the love of God the end of all his actions, he had found reasons to be well satisfied with his method. He was pleased when he could take up a straw from the ground for the love of God, seeking Him only, and nothing else, not even His gifts.”[1]
Why is being present so difficult?
Haunted by the past and afraid of the future, our culture spends a great deal of money and energy to live a life completely distracted. To be aware of God in every moment we must be living in the present moment, not hung up on yesterday or worried about tomorrow. The continual pursuit of something we don’t yet have such as possessions, achievements, and success divert us from the joy of today. The failures of yesterday and fear of an unknown tomorrow prevent us from fully experiencing the here and now.
What are we missing when we distract ourselves from this present moment?
I can remember time spent with my children in the past. I hope to spend time with my children in the future. But the only time I can actively enjoy their presence are the moments that we are present together in each other’s company.
A good time last year with a dear friend is a fond memory. An upcoming reunion is something to look forward to experiencing. The only time to enjoy the presence of a friend is when they are present.
Peace and joy in life are experienced during the times that we are fully present.
Finding Peace in Presence
God is present. He is not an ancient memory or someone’s fantasy of tomorrow. He lives in this present moment always.
We can look in the past and see what God has done. We can hope and trust that God will do good things in the future. But the only moment that we can enjoy his presence is this present moment.
I am sitting outside on a beautiful afternoon. I smell the wood smoke from the neighbor’s fire pit. I hear children jumping on a trampoline and a lawnmower humming in the distance. I watch golden rays of sunshine glisten and dance across the grass. I am intensely conscious of the grace and sweet presence of God. His presence is close and precious and loving. This present moment is exquisitely beautiful.
Tomorrow, this moment will be a memory. I may choose to be distracted by the failures of yesterday or the fears of tomorrow. I may be too busy trying to reach my goals to notice that God is always present.
My prayer is that as I live my life I will become increasingly aware of the presence of God. God was with me through all of the failures of yesterday so I can let yesterday go. God will be with me every moment of tomorrow, so I need not be afraid of tomorrow. The key to enjoying God’s presence is being present as He is present.
May we each follow the example of a 17th century monk and learn to practice the exquisitely beautiful presence of God in this present moment.
“For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zeph 3:17
Copyright @ TA Boland 2023 Image: Wix
[1]Lawrence, Brother; The Collected Works of Brother Lawrence. The Practice of the Presence of God (Optimized for Kindle) (Kindle Locations 90-93). Kindle Edition.
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