Confucius is quoted as saying: "The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large." Christians are familiar with the words of St. Paul: "Finally, brothers, fill your minds with everything true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honor, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise" (Phil.4:8).
Some meditate, to reduce stress, gain peace of mind and heart, improve health, and other benefits with different forms of meditation. They may be byproducts but not the main reason a Christian meditates. The hope is to deepen their relationship with God using reason, thoughts imagination, emotions, memory.
In meditation, eureka moments are often experienced. Some area of life is seen in a different light; judgments made and plans to realize them in daily life. Meditation helps one to grow as a human being and live a fuller, more Christ-like life.
This kind of meditation doesn't dispense with reason, doesn't spend time on the 'how' of meditation but on the 'what': trying to see God as he sees us, getting rid of deceptions, and opening ourselves to God's working in life. This worldview makes the meditation completely different from those who don't have this insight.
'Metanarratives' are rarely envisioned in modern life. However, in meditation, these master narratives come to mind and give meaning and a context not clearly seen before the meditation. It's an intuition that lights up dark areas of life. When meditating the vision is not restricted; it's God's world, not our world. A metanarrative (also called grand narrative) is a bigger picture or story that gives context, meaning, to all of life.
"Listen Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbor as yourself". (Mk 12:29). In this brief statement, we are presented with a Christian understanding of the self— five areas of concern: body, mind, heart, soul, and social.
Life is easily compartmentalized. Life is concerned for the whole person, not body, mind, heart, and soul as unrelated to each other and other human beings. All important in daily life on this earth is harmony among the five aspects of life. Without this harmony peace and joy will not be easily achieved. A metanarrative that meditation helps to achieve.
The best should not be an enemy of the good for as GK Chesterton said: "if a thing is worth doing it's worth doing badly" rather than not at all. Metanarratives may be unacceptable to many but a blessed gift in meditation that prepares for the journey of life to the 'Word' and Oneness. The more integrated we become the better for us and the world.
May Lent be a blessed and profitable one for all.
