Welcome, Welcome, Welcome
Einstein’s thought experiments allowed him to develop his revolutionary theories of relativity, which have had a profound impact on our understanding of space, time, and gravity. Let’s do a thought experiment with something not quite so weighty as space, time, and gravity.
Father Thomas Keating, a Trappist monk and a prominent figure in the Christian contemplative prayer movement, wrote the following “Welcome Prayer” as a way to greet the day.
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me today, because I know it's for my healing.
I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons, situations, and conditions.
I let go of my desire for power and control.
I let go of my desire for affection, esteem, approval, and pleasure.
I let go of my desire for survival and security.
I let go of my desire to change any situation, condition, person or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God and God's action within. Amen.
One might say, “That sounds so nice, but I’m not a Monk. I have to deal with the realities of my life which include unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and a lot of unpleasant people. Let go of my desire for survival and security? Are you kidding? It’s a dog-eat-dog world. It’s all about survival of the fittest. All I have to do is look around and see that people with power and control have it all. That’s what I want. This is a nice little inspirational read, but it’s just not realistic, and I’m not sure what I think about God anyway.”
That’s why this is a Thought Experiment. It’s not about doing or believing. It’s about thinking and imagining . . . like Einstein.
Imagine a person (not you) who started each day with this Welcome Prayer, and actually did those things throughout the day. What would that look like? How would he or she interact with their environment and other people? How would this person function in our culture of accumulation and ego gratification without being a Monk?
This blog allows interaction in the comments section. I would love to hear the conclusions of your thought experiment.