MIKE’S MEDITATIONS

Being Present to Life By Mike Van Vranken

Mike Van Vranken is a spiritual director, author, speaker and teacher. You can contact him at mikevanvranken@comcast.net T he Kingdom of God is among you” Luke 17:21. Throughout his public life, Jesus reminded everyone to be present to today. Most of his parables were begging us to be present to the circumstances around us. Be present to suffering like the Good Samaritan. Be present to the son coming home in pain like the Father. Be present to your faith, even if it is as small as a mustard seed. In the garden of Gethsemane, he asked those with him if they could be present with him for one hour. “Don’t worry about tomorrow” he said in Luke 6:34. It seems Jesus was always teaching us that, to be fully alive is to recognize and live in God’s kingdom by being present to that kingdom which is already here.

To live in the moment (the present) is to live in the kingdom. Jesus came that we may have life in abundance (John 10:10). And any reading of the gospel stories easily helps us see that life on earth is about being present to every “Kingdom of God-filled moment.”

Someone once wrote that contemplation is taking a long, loving look at the real. In other words, when we sit in the silence, with God, in the present circumstances of our life, in the present moment of our life – this is contemplation. Taking time to practice contemplation each day teaches us how to take long, loving looks at every present moment to find Christ and his kingdom already present in that moment. I’m convinced this is the abundant life Jesus came to bring us. A life of individual moments where we are present to his presence.

How can I be present to Christ in every present moment? When I am at work, can I be so present to God in the work I’m doing that I am only doing it for him (Col 3:17)? Can I be so present to my co-workers that I love them as I work with them? While speaking to someone on the phone, can I not pretend that I am multi-tasking – ignoring that person while I’m trying to do something else? Can I be present to those suffering I see on the news? Can I stop and pray for them at that moment? Can I pray for the person who was shot and killed? Can I pray for the person who did the shooting. The Kingdom of God is among us. Do I look for the kingdom in every situation? Am I really present to this kingdom? This is the life we are called to live – right now. The Prodigal Son left his present life looking for something better. He squandered what he had; his family, food, shelter, friends. Would he have wandered away if he realized the Kingdom of God was among all that he already had?

In Luke’s gospel, the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith (Luke 17:5). They do this right after Jesus has taught them to always forgive. It seemed impossible to them. Would it have been easier if they were living life in the presence of the Kingdom of God which was already among them? Maybe it’s time now to practice contemplation. Am I willing to be truly present to life by setting aside twenty minutes or so each day to be quiet and still in the moment, and allow God to change me? To pay attention to God’s continuing presence? To be present to God’s presence? The world around us will continue to bombard us with its own distractions. Practicing contemplation rewires us to be able to be present to God even in the middle of those noisy disturbances. And some of those distractions are both the joys and sufferings of real life happening all around us. Jesus calls us to be present there too. But, in that presence to know that we are still in the Kingdom of God that is among us. In that presence, we can still be present to God. Jesus said he came to bring us life in abundance. I believe this is the abundant life: to be present to God’s ever-present kingdom no matter what the real circumstances are that are constantly surrounding us. I also believe it takes a lifetime to develop this practice of living in the present.

Our life is a gift from God. He has told us it is precious, has dignity, and it, along with all creation, belongs to him. To give our reverence and respect to this life, Jesus calls us to be present to every moment of it. And when we are present, I believe we get glimpses of the Kingdom of God that is already among us. And in this presence, we might begin to learn the infinite meanings of the phrase: “Pro-Life!” Van Vranken

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