All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

[From Summoned to Pilgrimage: The Temple as Focus of a Pilgrim People, by Velma Ruch, Herald Publishing House, 1994, reprinted 2018]

A Quaker, Thomas Kelly, in his book A Testament of Devotion (HarperOne, 1996), writes about this centering in the Divine:

Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return. Eternity is at our hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives, warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny calling us home unto Itself. Yielding to these persuasions, gladly committing ourselves in body and soul, utterly and completely to the Light Within, is the beginning of true life.

It is in these deeps that the real business of life is determined. Those who do not cultivate these deeps know only the fragmentations of life, not the foundation. Today many people are feeling an increasing hunger for genuineness, reality, and growth in the commitments they have made to Jesus Christ. Many are reaching new levels of hunger and thirst for a transformed life of forgiveness, cleansing, acceptance, and spiritual strength. The question raised by many is, How can I truly feel Christ within?

For everyone the beginning is desire. We must truly want it. Then follows the discipline, the process of awakening to that life that already exists within us and becoming sensitive to the Spirit that comes to us from without. I referred to that process as practicing the presence of God. That means that in all our ways we recognize and acknowledge the divine. It means that at the very center of our lives is that peace of divine presence. It means that at every moment of our lives, regardless of what we are doing, there is an inner part of us that is aware of our Creator. I think we all realize how difficult that is. For most of us, we alternate our periods of practicing God’s presence with periods in which we attend to business, take care of our responsibilities, or deal with the multitude of activities with which we are confronted each day. We may come to the evening and realize we haven't thought of or related to the divine all day.

There are a few who have worked with this for months and years who testify that attending to business and practicing God’s presence can be simultaneous activities rather than ones that function on alternate tracks. The encouraging thing is that God will accept us where we are and will forgive our halting efforts and our times of forgetfulness. [God] will invite us in and bless us beyond our deserving. All of us are what we are because a door opened for us once and regardless of how dimly we may have perceived it at the time, we responded.

Prayer Phrase

“I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).

Spiritual Practice

Light

Close your eyes and become centered with your breath. As you breathe gently in and out, reflect on the statement, “The light of God is in all things.” The light has a bright, soft beauty and radiates God’s healing love. The light of God reaches you and permeates you with a deep sense of peace. Rest in the light as it surrounds and fills you. Thank God that you live in God’s light, and it lives in you.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.