Published: October 09, 2008 04:47 pm            

Chasing rabbits

John Paul Carter, Democrat Columnist

In the introduction to his book “New Seeds of Contemplation,” the Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote these insightful words to his readers: “The purpose of a book of meditations is to teach you how to think and not to do your thinking for you.”

It would be a waste of time, Merton wrote, to simply read his book through without pausing. Instead, he advised, “As soon as any thought stimulates your mind or your heart you can put the book down because your meditation has begun.”

He goes on to explain: “To think that you are somehow obliged to follow the author of the book to his own particular conclusion would be a great mistake. It may happen that his conclusion does not apply to you. God may want you to end up somewhere else. He may have planned to give you quite a different grace than the one the author suggests you might be needing.”

Those words have been reassuring to me because I’ve always been “a chaser of rabbits.”

Of course, Merton’s permission to “chase rabbits” while reading his book runs counter to our early discipline. As children we were rightfully taught to pay strict attention to our parents, teachers, books, and preachers. Early on, we discovered that the ability to focus was necessary for learning and staying on task. Attention deficit can be crippling for both children and adults.

Believing that undivided attention is the sole key to enlightenment, we sometimes assume that whoever is speaking, teaching, writing, or preaching, possesses the truth meant for us. As a result, distractions, interruptions, and disagreements become enemies to be avoided.

However, as the years have passed, my mind has changed about distractions. It’s not that concentration isn’t important. Rather, I’ve discovered that chasing rabbits can also lead to significant learning. When it comes to staying focused or being distracted, sometimes it’s a case of both/and, rather than either/or.

For example, we don’t know what important thoughts Isaac Newton was thinking when the apple fell from the tree and hit him on the head. However, his curiosity about the distraction led to the discovery of the law of gravity.

Moses was keeping his father-in-law’s sheep in the Sinai wilderness when he “turned aside” to see a bush that burned but was not consumed. Instead of keeping a close-eye on the flock as he had been instructed, Moses allowed himself to be distracted by the burning bush and, in so doing, encountered I AM and his own calling to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage.

Jesus was very focused in his short three year ministry. Yet he allowed himself to be distracted by a woman touching the hem of his robe, people crying out for help along the way, children needing a hug, and his disciples asking the same questions over and over again. Even as he was suffering on the cross, he turned aside from his own dying to give hope to the dying thief next to him, to make provision for his grieving mother, and to offer forgiveness to his executioners. In his distracted moments, Jesus taught us as much about God as he did when he was focused on the task at hand.

So the next time your attention is diverted in the midst of your work, your watching, your reading (even this column), or your worship, consider chasing that rabbit. It might turn out to lead you to holy ground!

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John Paul Carter’s “Notes from the Journey” appear in the Democrat’s Religion page on the second and fourth Fridays of each month. Carter, an ordained minister who attends Central Christian Church, may be contacted by writing him at 107 Bent Oak Road, Weatherford, 76086. Columns submitted to The Weatherford Democrat by guest writers reflect the opinions of the writer and in no way reflect the beliefs or opinions of The Weatherford Democrat.

        

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