Mindfulness

Yesterday, I talked about an image of God, attentive and listening. Earlier in the week, I talked about multitasking -- trying to do so many things at once that none of them get done well. On Wednesday, I talked about Martha and a reflection concerning the scripture from Reflectionary.

Songbird (who writes Reflectionary) was preparing for an interfaith service, and she was using a reading from I Am There For You by Thich Nhat Hanh, “Living Buddha, Living Christ”

The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When our mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers. If you love someone but you rarely make yourself available to him or her, that is not true love. When your beloved is suffering, you need to recognize her suffering, anxiety, and worries, and just by doing that, you already offer some relief. Mindfulness relieves suffering because it is filled with understanding and compassion. When you are really there, showing your loving-kindness and understanding, the energy of the Holy Spirit is in you.

When we lean forward in our chairs, turn off the TV, really look at the person in front of us, we are emulating God. We are listening with the intensity of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it means interrupting what we are doing, setting aside our own schedule, but when we focus, God can enter in. When we are Mary, at the feet of God, or of anyone else, we say something.

What are you saying? What am I saying?