You’ve heard the adage: “Be here now.” It is an invitation to the present moment, given by many across traditions and fields of study in recent decades. We hear about being mindful and present in a given moment. Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn says this: “We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive.” We’ve heard it, we know there is truth to it, and yet it is so hard for us to actually live in the present moment. We tend to spend our time either in the future (which can look like worrying, or planning, or even dreaming) or in the past, ruminating over what has-been; so that we never actually find ourselves living into this present moment. But the thing it, the diverse spiritual teachers and psychology experts are right: *this* is the ONLY moment you can actually live in. It is also the only moment you can be-with another, or experience God in. Because you are located in your body, in time, in this moment (no, now *this* moment – that last one has passed!), it is the only place God can be-with you in your experience. So, friends, let's lean into the present together this week (*now* is the only moment we can be with each other, too!). Let's consider what it is to be present in a moment, and how that presence opens up space for us to experience not only our lives, but the life of God. Is this practice of living in the present moment something that has been a part of your life with God? Do you find yourself wanting to lean into it? Or does it still feel a bit foreign to you? Notice what is coming up in you as we begin this discussion this week, and feel free to share in the comments!

Posted by Jamie Bonilla at 2021-07-26 14:25:15 UTC