Reclaiming Our Place of Inner Stillness

Sometimes when I feel jumbled inside I come across a piece of wisdom that helps calm my heart. That happened yesterday when I received an e-mail message from Abbey of the Arts with this quotation by Christine Valtners Paintner:

“When you bring your attention to something in nature, whether a tree or a stone or a creature, and bring yourself fully present to it, you can sense its inner stillness, meeting a place of stillness in your own heart. You can experience how much it rests in the great Being who holds all of us, with no divisions, and in that awareness you discover that place within you as well.”

This quote reminded me that in the comic strip Rose Is Rose, written by Pat Brady, the main character is sometimes pictured leaning against her “Let It Be” tree when she’s feeling overwhelmed.

In these days of political turmoil and catastrophic climate-related events, we all need to identify and spend time with an element of nature that helps us “Let It Be,” whether that is a tree, a pet, a body of water, or another element that fosters inner stillness. When we are distressed it helps to center ourselves in God, in whom there are no divisions.

Being pained and infuriated by the behavior of some people is unavoidable, and we certainly are called to contain and resist their destructive actions. We can take comfort in a vision experienced by Hildegard of Bingen, in which God said, “I am love, which the vast expanses of evil can never still.” Martin Luther King, Jr., showed an understanding of the power of God’s love when he said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

In 1 John 4:20 it is said, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” Similarly, Dorothy Day said, “I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.” When loving those who act reprehensibly feels impossible, it is time to retreat to nature and reclaim our place of inner stillness where we can remember the invincibility of the love of God, who holds all of us with no divisions.