For most people, identifying as a “Contemplative Christian” is a stretch. We don’t really use terms like “contemplative” anymore and so it can be hard to understand what this kind of person would even look like. Does it mean to sit around and have deep thoughts about God? Is it about silence and meditation? Do you have to be a monk or a priest?
Here are few short considerations on what a contemplative Christian does (and doesn’t) look like. See if you can find yourself in this list, and ask what kind of Christian do you want to be.
- Someone who consciously removes things from their lives to pay better attention to how God is already at work in their own life and the lives of others. (Not someone who adds a new set of practices and principles on top of their current way of living.)
- Someone who practices finding the beauty and wonder of God’s mercy and grace in the mundane and commonplace things of life. (Not someone who is trying to get away from the world and other people, or is looking for new and exciting spiritual experiences.)
- Someone who has connected with God through their own pain and grief to grow in compassion and grace for others. (Not someone who is attempting to cover their own hurt by trying to become more “spiritual” in order to gain approval or feel better about themselves.)
- Someone who desires deep inner peace with God in their lives, even if it means confronting the darkness within ourselves. (Not someone who uses contemplative practices as a way to avoid the discomfort of facing themselves with God or working through difficult relationships with others.)
- Someone who is inevitably drawn to others of the same heart and mind to sustain their faith. (Not someone who has simply given up on other people and can only tolerate their own company, or the starved company of other embittered souls.)
The Contemplative life is not necessarily about deeper commitment or perfecting a practice. It is about deeper desire and leaning ever deeper into that desire, even when we feel like failures at it.
It also means learning how to take a hard look at your own heart and motivations. Learning to slow down and fully pay attention to what God is whispering to our spirit, knowing that it alone gives us life and peace through the surpassing love of Christ.
When this longing begins to overtake the fear, guilt and shame that motivates our sinful behavior, we will begin to see a new ambition fuel our hearts for God. This is what it truly means to be a contemplative.