One such resource: The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. A friend described him as a "klutz who broke everything." In an effort to make something of himself, he left the services of a French Lord and entered the monastery and there became the washer of pots and pans. His simple meditations from the 17th Century on what it means to pray have endured and spoken to many.
Here's what Henri Nouwen wrote in the foreword to a recent edition:"Although we are busy we experience ourselves as the passive victims of great powers that control us and seem very hard to resist. Life seems like a long series of randomly scattered incidents and accidents over which we have no control."I'm not sure I've heard a more concise summary of 21st Century life in America. And it's too this sense of fragementation that Brother Lawrence speaks.
I'll post reflections as I read my way through.
Where to order:
Online edition (free)
Amazon.com.
2 comments:
Brother Scott,
I read this book years ago and so love it. It's a terrific read. However, I've also read books printed in the past few years that I have found impacting and powerful as well. I can't agree with dismissing something simply because it was written and published this century.
nouwen and brother lawrence. nice.
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