Just Be
Walter Burghardt’s definition of contemplation as ‘a long loving look at the real’ became transformative for me. The world, my own issues and hurts, all my goals and desires gradually dissolved and fell into proper perspective. God became obvious and ever present. I understood what Merton meant when he said, “The gate of heaven is everywhere.”
Walter Burghardt’s definition of contemplation “a long loving look at the real” is the spirit of mindfulness. It invites us to pause, soften our gaze, and meet reality, not with judgment or fear, but with compassion and attention.
When we practice mindfulness:
- Our worries/attachments no longer dominate the horizon,
- Our pain is still there, but it no longer defines us, less “I”,
- and in this softened, spacious awareness, the sacred emerges.
We begin to see, as Thomas Merton said, that “the gate of heaven is everywhere.” That every moment, pleasant or unpleasant, can be a doorway into Presence. What we are looking for in terms of connection, healing is not elsewhere, it’s here, waiting in the real.
I find mindfulness meditation supports my intention to JUST BE ….if only for a moment.
Mondays & Thursdays
12:15 – 12:45 pm
Room 407 @ Second Presbyterian Church
7700 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46260
or
Zoom! – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83998337582
Meeting ID: 839 9833 7582 – Password: 672891
Join others in Mindfulness Meditation on Mondays and Thursdays at 12:15 pm. Brief discussion, followed by silent practice and concluding with observations, comments or wonderings. Take refuge in the present moment. Mindfulness Meditation is the opportunity to rest in Presence in a supportive environment with others. No experience, fee or registration is necessary.
P. Scott Sweet, LCSW, LCAC
Executive Director
CenterPoint Counseling