I recently came across an unexpected meditation on God in a
novel entitled The Love Song of Miss
Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce. The main character resides at a hospice,
and she made this observation:
“There was a patient who sat with her family in a circle
around her, all holding hands. Sister Philomena asked if they would like to
join her for prayers and they said yes, they would. They closed their eyes as
Sister Philomena whispered the words and I thought this must be the nearest
humans get to whatever God is, when they hold hands and listen.”
Saint Benedict would concur. The first word in his Rule is “listen,”
and he emphasizes the importance of supporting each other—giving one another a
hand, as it were—in the monastic community. Saint Benedict knew that in a noisy
world, when we become isolated in the service of ambition, wealth, and fame, we
can allow ourselves to drift far from God. Holding hands and listening is the
antidote that tethers us to God and others, allowing us to hear the voice of the
One who loves. As it happens, Jesus who listened and held the hands of the
people he healed told us that “the One who loves” is the best understanding we
have of whatever God is. Thus, let’s not wait until we are in a crisis or at a
deathbed to hold hands and listen.
No comments:
Post a Comment