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Published on Thursday, 09 February 2012 12:57

I quite regularly have an inner dialogue going on in my head - a conversation that trails on and on: in the car on my way to work, while I'm trying to sleep, when I'm suppose to be listening to others, even when I listen to others preach (true confession), and yes, it's even happened on occasion to me when I was preaching.  The little voice inside is almost always talking.  Sometimes it relates to what's going on but sometimes it's just in its own inner world.

I couldn't help but laugh at the truthfulness of the video––a stream of consciousness perhaps carried on while the rest of the congregation is singing "Come Shine on Me." My guess is that we've all experienced it and been ashamed of it.  Who wants to admit to the pastor that they were thinking about what they were going to order at lunch instead of listening to the sermon?  But maybe it's nothing to be ashamed of.  Instead maybe it is a way of helping us understand precisely what we should be about, what it means to live our lives–our entire lives–in the light of Christ.  God is there in the midst of our ramblings, gently and subtly, leading us bringing our lives into focus.  Christ's light shines in on us, calling us back and focusing our thoughts once more on him.

I remember the first time I tried to meditate.  My mind was everywhere.  I kept scolding myself: "don't think about that! You're suppose to be focused on Jesus."  But the more I tried, the harder it was.   My mind wandered farther a field.  Then someone told me not to try blocking the thoughts, rather simply acknowledge them and then allow yourself to be called back to the stillness of God.  I was amazed at how well it worked!

What would it look like if we lived that way?  Rather than worried about every little thing, obsessed with doing it right, we simply lived.  Acknowledging our mistakes and allowing ourselves to be called back.  Acknowledging the wandering (rather than being ashamed of it), but then instead of dwelling on it, allowing God's light to call us back, bringing us back into focus on Christ.  What would a life lived that way look lie?