In contemplative practice, we seek to adopt a disposition of openness and receptivity. There is sometimes a concern, especially among beginning practitioners, about what we might open ourselves to, what we might receive. If we truly allow ourselves to be utterly open and available, is it possible that we could open ourselves to dark, even demonic forces, rather than Divine Love? Scripture helps address this question: Psalm 33:5 tells us that “The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.” Colossians 3:11 tells us that “Christ is all.” The Bible suggests that the world is saturated with the goodness of Christ, in whom “we live, move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). If we are to trust our sacred writings, then the natural outcome of “opening up” would be for grace to come pouring in! We can’t deny the “struggle against principalities and powers” (Ephesians 6:12), but perhaps we are due to reframe how we think about them. Both Augustine and Aquinas thought of evil as an absence of good… but if God is good, and “God is all,” then maybe good can only be “absent” if we close ourselves off to it, if we aren’t open and receptive! Evil could be seen as a lack of awareness and receptivity to the grace and mercy around, and indeed, within us. If you still find yourself unsure about opening up, remember that “you are God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9), and consider the likelihood (or unlikelihood) of God surrendering God’s own temple.
Submitted by Andy Dapron