I live my life in
widening circles
that reach out
across the world.
I may not complete
this last one
but I give myself
to it.
--Rainer
Maria Rilke
We do live our lives in circles. The temptation is to
think that our lives are linear, but like a drop that falls into a pond and
radiates outward, our lives radiate outward around us. We have a circle of
influence, be it large or small.
Whether our circle is widening largely depends on the
openness of our heart. I know people whose generosity and openness draws people
to them. Such people are a joy to be around. They radiate love to others and
though they may not even be aware of it, their circle is wide because their
hearts are wide. They believe in goodness and see it present around them. As
they age, their lives and hearts grow more expansive. Their humility and wisdom
keeps fearfulness far from them. They have nothing to prove, protect or defend,
so they can love freely, without worrying about what is “right” or “wrong.”
I also know people who live life close to the vest, not
exposing themselves to risk, not revealing their vulnerabilities, not trusting
the goodness of others. These people do not live in widening circles. On the
contrary, their circle is small and grows smaller over time. They do not
readily invite people in because they are unwilling to relinquish control and
are unwilling to admit or expose their vulnerabilities. They are worried about
what others think of them and concerned with presenting a particular image to
the world. They may know a lot, but they do not grow wise because ego, not
humility, is the driving force in their lives.
The irony is that those who seek to be people of influence
are not as influential as those whose energy is focused on loving others. What
we attempt to gain by force seldom works out the way we want it to. Grace and
love cannot be forced. Yet when they flow freely through a person, there is no
stronger attractant.
Our world needs people of humility, grace and openness.
These traits are cultivated over a lifetime as we relinquish the need for
control and give ourselves to love. Silence and solitude are the soil in which
grace and openness grow. A daily practice of centering prayer can open one’s
heart more fully over time.
Will you begin to practice a regular, daily time of
silence? More than anything else, it may be what saves our world.
