God’s mercy is freely given – perhaps the deepest meaning of the cross. The only “barrier” to God’s mercy is our willingness to allow, accept, and welcome it. Yet, this “barrier” proves significant to so many, who have misunderstood mercy as somehow a response to some intention or behavior on our part, rather than as intrinsic to the Triune God, whose very nature it is to pour forth in love. We who constantly feel personal, cultural, and societal pressure to do more and be more are not prepared for unconditional mercy. We often struggle with the notion that God’s mercy will always be unearned – as if anything we do could ever match the sheer immensity of Divine Love! Part of the wisdom of Centering Prayer and other apophatic (without thoughts, words, or images) prayer forms is precisely that these forms recognize that the flow and energy of mercy is entirely one-sided, and no action on our part, however well-intended or ill-advised, will ever increase or decrease that flow. Indeed, one of the most common concerns expressed by new practitioners of Centering Prayer is the feeling of “not doing anything,” and in essence, that feeling is correct! We don’t do anything during Centering Prayer and other similar prayer types because there is nothing to do other than allow the grace, love, and mercy that God is. We recognize the minuteness of our doings vis-à-vis God and stop trying to measure up – and from there the grace flows!