Tasting Wisdom

Here is another inspiring daily companion for meditation – Laurence has for many years been Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation, and you can also subscribe to a daily meditation accompanied by one of Laurence’s observant photographs that capture some special moments. The word wisdom is derived from the Latin ‘sapere’ meaning to taste, hence the title. The readings are infused with half a century of spiritual practice and reflection, affirming the Christian contemplative tradition as a time when the benefits of meditation enable us to handle the fragmentation and distraction of the modern world by entering into silence, stillness and simplicity twice a day. Laurence writes that ‘Wisdom is the salt of living. With the loss of wisdom, life seems tasteless, meaningless. Tasting wisdom restores zest for life.’

Today, August 15 – commemorating the Assumption – we read that ‘the challenging paradox of a spiritual path is that we take the attention off ourselves in order to find ourselves.’ While yesterday the theme was loneliness as one of the scourges of modern culture in a world where the human is often reduced to mechanical systems and endless evaluation with targets to achieve. In this respect, Laurence recommends solitude as the antidote, noting that meditation teaches us what solitude really means. We can also bring meditation into our daily activities, becoming ‘a contemplative washer of dishes and clothes, or even a mindful commuter’. The point is to let go and focus on the mantra – Maranatha – bringing one’s attention back when it wanders, and gradually we will enter a clearer and calmer state. This is essential spiritual nourishment, which I recommend very highly.