Freedom in Meditation

Henri Nouwen writes of a priest who told him that he cancelled his subscription to the New York Times because he felt that the endless stories about war, crime, power games and political manipulation only disturbed his mind and prevented him from meditation and prayer. "That is a sad story," writes Nouwen. "A real spiritual life does exactly the opposite: it makes us so alert and aware of the world around us, that all that is and happens becomes part of our contemplation and meditation and invites us to a free and fearless response."