'A' for attending

Why do people like dogs? 

One reason is they pay attention to you. 

Before we look at a solution, here are two ways in which we often fail to pay attention. 

Problem #1

For months I went for long walks with a neighbor. I’ll call him ‘George’ (not his real name). 

He talked almost all the time. Nothing mattered but his subject and his opinion.

Sometimes I tried to introduce another topic. It didn’t make any difference.

Now I’m friendly, but I’m not available for walks with him.

He’s never asked why. 

My conclusion is that ‘George’ is so self-absorbed and self-centered that it’s as if others don’t exist. 

Even though we walked side-by-side, he wasn’t “present” or attending to our relationship. ‘George’ didn’t want a friend; he wanted an audience. 

Problem #2

Our minds are often in the past or the future, not the present.

You are having a conversation with someone. As they speak, what are you thinking? Are you listening to what is being spoken? Or are you thinking about what you want to say? Perhaps you’re thinking of something completely unrelated to the conversation.

It’s not that your past and future are unimportant— they are; it’s that we need to be present or to attend to the other person in the “now.”

Jean-Pierre de Cassaude (1674-1751) is the author of The Sacrament of the Present Moment. Here is how he illustrated “now.”

Take two sheets of paper and place them edge-to-edge. The page on the left represents your past; the one on the right your future. The thin line between the sheets is “now.” 

I wonder how little we attend to God in the “now”? 

In summary, two problems that might hinder experiencing God are: 

• self-centeredness; and,
• not attending to Him in the present.

Now let’s consider a remedy. 

A way forward

You have probably heard this line from Psalm 46:10:

“Be still, and know that I am God.” 

What does it mean to “Be still”?

To understand this verse, you need to read the whole Psalm. Click here and take a moment to read Psalm 46. 

Note the three occurrences of the word Selah at strategic points (at the end of verses 3, 7, and 11). Selah is a Hebrew word of uncertain meaning. Most likely, it is “the signal for an interlude or change of musical accompaniment” (Derek Kidner) and is often understood to mark a pause for reflection.  

46:1-3

The psalmist contrasts God’s steadfastness in contrast with the earth’s instability with its landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and volcanoes (verses 1-3).

46:4-7

Next, the psalmist contrasts the God of covenantal relationship with the instability of world kingdoms and politics with their aggression and their collapse (verses 4-7).

46:8-11

The two big things in our lives—the planet we live on and the empire we live in—are unstable and temporary. Yet, through it all, only One is over both the earth and the nations; He is unchangeable and permanent (verses 8-9). He “is our fortress.”

It is at this point we hear, “Be still, and know that I am God.” 

Note that God Himself is speaking: “I am God.” 

What does it mean to “be still”?

“Be still” translates the Hebrew word raphah. It has this sense: “Cause yourself to relax, cease from your striving, sink down and be settled.” 

How do you understand “know that I am God”? 

In The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence (ca. 1640-1691) writes:

We must know before we can love. In order to know God, we must often think of Him; and when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure. 

To attend to God is to begin to know Him.

To begin to know Him is to love Him. 

An Exercise

Choose a quiet time and place. Turn off your cell phone and put a note on the door so you won’t be disturbed. 

Now sit, close your eyes, and “be still” — “cause yourself to relax, cease from your striving, sink down, and be settled.” Easier said than done.

Start with two minutes to attend to God; be present to Him. 

In attending to God, perhaps you begin to be more aware that “God is love,” or he is faithful, or he entirely accepts you. 

Your mind will wander. Draw it back to the present moment. 

‘A’ is for attending to God and God alone.

Begin with two minutes and see what happens.

Click here for the audio version.

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Photo credit: Jamfogarty IMG_0455 taken October 6, 2010. Obtained from Flickr.