Many have described prayer as bringing your thinking down
into your heart. Next time a resentment, negativity, or irritation comes into
your mind, and you are tempted to play it out or attach to it, instead move
that thought or person into your heart space--literally. There, surround this
negativity with silence (which is much easier to do in the heart) and your
pumping blood (which will often feel warm like coals). In this place, it is
almost impossible to comment, judge, create story lines, or remain
antagonistic. You are in a place that does not create or feed on contraries but
is the natural organ of life, embodiment, and love. Love lives and thrives in
the heart space.
This practice has kept me from wanting to hurt people who
have hurt me. It keeps me from obsessive, repetitive, or compulsive head games.
It can make the difference between being happy and being miserable and
negative.
Could this be what we are really doing when we pray for
someone? Yes, we are holding them in our heart space.
Richard
Rohr
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Who do I need to hold in my heart Lord?
Who do I need to surround with the warm rhythm of love
I have a long list
of people I resent
and toward whom I feel anger
politicians
home made militia men and women
haters
judgers
abusers
people who hoard resources, and let the vulnerable die
I could go on an on
(and on and on and on)
People there are those people I would comfort
who face the world at its worst
whose bodies are failing
whose heart are weak
whose lives are chaos
whose minds just don’t work, quit right
who are lost and lonely, and afraid
But perhaps Lord
the first person I need to hold in my heart space
is me
perhaps I need to be at peace with this
hater, judger
this flawed but beautiful person
this person, in pain
perhaps I need to enlarge this heart
and let love thrive
here
and surround me
so that I might then hold others
in a warm embrace
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