Contemplation: A New Way of Seeing

Picture taken of Christina at Three Sisters Waterfall, CA

I grew up going to church, reading the Bible, and praying, and I completed higher ed degrees in religion and divinity. But I was often left thirsting for deeper intimacy with God. As a young adult, I was introduced to contemplative practices, and uncovered a way to not only know God in my mind but also more experientially. This mystical strand of Christianity includes a long lineage of ordinary people seeking after the holy, and encountering divine love in a transformative and unifying way.

Contemplation simply means seeing divinity. 

It is becoming aware of the Divine—in you, and being revealed through the people and creation around you. Contemplation is a shift in consciousness, leading you to live in the world with a greater recognition of the holy.

In contemplation, you are cultivating the adoring gaze of two lovers. 

God is always lovingly gazing upon you, and when you realize this, you can’t help but lovingly gaze back. Spiritual practices serve as a mirror to facilitate this. Eventually, you can't tell who is gazing at who, or who initiated and who reciprocated.

The aim of contemplation is to live wholly connected to God.

You are at one with the divinity you can now see more clearly. As you begin to recognize and rest in Divine presence, you are growing in union.

Union is a state of being.

You are existing in and with divinity, moving as one. Spiritual traditions may use different language, but union is, by definition, unifying. It is the deep knowing that we are all connected by the same source of life and held together in love. 

Contemplation is an invitation to know God, which can look different for each of us. So try exploring these concepts through your own tradition, experiences, or beliefs. Trust your inner wisdom to guide you. Hold mystery loosely and with patience. Let your spirit feel a little stretched by something you haven’t heard or considered before. Follow your own curiosity. Ask questions, knowing that when you seek God, Divine presence will be revealed to you.