FINDING GOD IN THE BUSYNESS
by Maura Hanrahan
There seems to be a great longing for stillness and silence these days. People go to obscure monasteries and retreat houses, hoping to capture something they feel they have lost or perhaps never had. They want quiet or they feel that they need quiet. They’re looking for an escape from our busy lives.
I think, too, that there is considerable –and growing-pressure to seek quiet and solitude. The Eastern religions (Buddhism in particular) with their emphasis on meditation have exerted a deep influence on westerners. Thomas Merton and his hermitage occupy a special place in our imaginations. Kathleen Norris’ book about the cloistered life really took hold as well.
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