Escape

The monastery, the spiritual life, is not for escape from the world.  I am in the world.  The contemplative life in or out of a monastery is to become detached from manners, attitudes, ways that are unhelpful to a fullness of life in the world.  Just because I am in a monastery does not mean I am unconnected.  But it does mean that I wrestle with things of the world that are destructive.  Like what?  Try selfishness, self-centered fear, being judgmental, bondage to self that creates a me who is not really me, the need to look good, to possess what in fact I don't need, seeking happiness in things, stuff, the need for control.  God may not want me or you, for that matter, to be a contemplative, but for sure, the world is not interested in you becoming who you were made to be.  So, everyday I wrestle with motives, feelings, attitudes, that I have come to see as useless for me and the world.  It is hard work and a bit of backsliding.  Since it is so hard to stay on track there are always diversions to be found.  But the gift of the monastery is that it is harder here to stay off track for long.