"Therefore, I will now allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her." (Hos 2, 14)
The Covid-19 has brought our daily situation as we previously knew it to a halt. Gone are our meticulous daily schedules and instead we are cooped up in our houses, in isolation from extended family members and friends, more predisposed to mounting tempers. We might feel in a vulnerable situation where we are no longer in control of our lives.
Yet, this situation can be a time of creativity and, ironically, an invitation to venture into unmapped territory. Admittedly, we have ample time for reflection. With this in mind, I intend to retrace my steps as a Christian to a time of the Desert Fathers and Mothers who went out to the desert in order to pursue the truth of the Word of God. This is not a shunning of society. This is important, since eventually these people sought to transform the lives of those who sought their counsel. Ironically, we have an opportunity to transcend our exterior and venture into the inner recesses of our heart, into the abode of the Divine. We are invited to pursue a life of stillness to listen to the voice. That might be impossible when we are surrounded by our children clamouring for attention! Yet, I am sure that we can find the time, especially during this current crisis.
Coming face to face with oneself is a stark reality which is far from easy. One of the monks describes the cell as "that furnace of Babylon in which the three children found the Son of God." (Thomas Merton, Wisdom of the Desert) Yet this furnace is blazing the purifying and sanctifying love of God. As we delve inwards, we are compelled to shed the various layers of frivolities we might have amassed in our lives. Yet, as we venture inwards into the ineffable mystery of God's love, we emerge as new persons. Most importantly we are free from the shackles of our own making thanks to the powers of prayer and discernment.
The newfound relationship with God does not render us oblivious to those around us. This is not mere isolation but the encounter with the voice of God in solitude. This voice can transform us if we respond to this grace and, in turn, transform all those around. We become collaborators with God if we make way for His grace, for the Spirit to sweep us and empower us. For we are partners in the transfiguration of this world, even in the most trying of times.
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