Unmask.

“Mark. Pay attention!”

That was a message from past Mark. He gently nudges my present day self on occasion and it’s always a welcome surprise.

Yesterday, I picked up my copy of Henri Nouwan’s, Making All Things New, and as I read, I found the following underlined with a note to me to read it again and pay close attention. Let me share.

The spiritual life is not a life before, after, or beyond our everyday existence. No, the spiritual life can only be real when it is lived in the midst of the pains and joys of the here and now. Therefore, we need to begin with a careful look at the way we think, speak, feel, and act from hour to hour, day to day, week to week, and year to year, in order to become more fully aware of our hunger for the Spirit. As long as we have only a vague inner feeling of discontent with our present way of living and only an indefinite desire for “things spiritual,” our lives will continue to stagnate in a generalized melancholy. We often say, “I am not very happy, I am not content with the way my life is going. I am not really joyful or peaceful, but I just don’t know how things can be different, and I guess I have to be realistic and accept my life as is.” It is this mood of resignation that prevents us from actively searching for the life of the Spirit.

Our first task is to dispel the vague, murky feeling of discontent and to look critically at how we are living our lives. This requires honestly, courage, and trust. We must honestly unmask and courageously confront our many deceptive games. We must trust that our honesty and courage will lead us not to despair, but to a new heaven and a new earth.

-from Making All Things New by Henri Nouwan

I loved the reminder that we must “look critically at how we are living our lives and honestly unmask and courageously confront our many deceptive games”.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be fully present in the moments you are given and, in doing so, may we be builders of the Kingdom of God here, now.