Openness

The map is not the territory

- S. I. Hiakawa

Openness to experience lies at the roots of contemplative prayer.

There are no thoughts, no notions, no concepts, and no words that can adequately prepare you for the direct experience of God.

It is a breakthrough in every sense...and to every sense.

And these experiences are absolutely unique, while at the same time being contextually and historically consistent with others who experience contemplative know-how.

Openness allows the contemplative to accept this experience as unfamiliar and to pay attention to both it and their own responsiveness. There is over time an emergent, deep-seated joy at the surprise, and novelty, and uniqueness inherent to this warm and loving element that embodies contemplation. There is nothing scripted about it. It is not based on bias or expectations. It does not seek out consistently similar experiences of others (e.g. charisms) in order to mimic them or feel good about itself or justify its existence. It is absolutely free and divergent and holistic and natural and fully human, in the best sense of these terms. And it is fully in line with historical Judaism and Christianity.

These find peace with God.

This is precisely what people who are inflexible find so disturbing about contemplative prayer, namely, that it does not fit at all with their expectations of predictability. Predictability is deeply tied to the need to be an authority. And of course a genuine relationship is simply not possible with others if you have to be in control of someone else.

If God is love, then there is nothing more critical in learning to simply rest in that relationship than openness, and nothing more detrimental to it than the need to be in control of it.

The real purpose of openness is to renew life...in love. A greater love and understanding of people is no obstacle to a true growth of contemplation, for contemplation is rooted and grounded in charity.

- Thomas Merton