The Renunciation Of Active Works

The practise of contemplative living is inexorably tied to withdrawal. Contemplative living above all bears witness to the humble stations of silence and coming apart and in particular the renunciation of reliance upon active works. It does so because it existentially knows the reality of the eschaton already realized, already present, already happening. It can do so because contemplatives have heard the Word and have surrendered unconditionally to it and to God's presence in their lives and the distinctly desert quality that innately undergirds it and that goes hand-in-hand with it. That is why theological study is so important, and particularly study of the Bible from the standpoint of a living narrative. That is why Christian contemplation so values the spontaneity, freedom, and love that inevitably wells up and overflows from denying your ego and openly immersing yourself in the invitation to experience God for yourself in the same manner as the biblical witness. There is nothing mechanical or prescriptive or punctilious about it. The wisdom and patience and understanding that grows from this approach is incomparable to any other. It forms the only path for a pilgrimage to the truth of the gospel. None of this is possible in any other way.