Dear Friends,
I just returned from spending two weeks in Palau with a couple of other priests. You will probably notice that my skin has turned a darker shade of tan, but you may not quickly notice the change which came from the process of being forced to slow down and observe. That part of this vacation was a bit like being on a retreat.
The reason we went to the islands of Palau was to snorkel. Almost everyone we spoke with on the journey to Palau was heading there for the same reason – to do either scuba diving or snorkeling. We were all going to Palau to see the incredible beauty that God had made. Beauty that could only be seen by putting your face in the water. Sitting in a boat above the water, you might conclude that below is water, nothing more. But you would be very wrong. Once you put on a snorkeling mask and stick your head in the water, you quickly realize that the water is filled with life; colorful, rich, beautiful, abundant life. However, it is life that is suffering from the warming of our earth and that is one of the reasons that my priest friends wanted to go there – to see it before it is gone.
We Americans are used to quickly observing things and then moving on to the next activity. And, that is what we did on our first day of snorkeling at one of the local reefs. Our boat driver and guide could not figure out why we were in such a hurry. What was the rush? Did we not like what we were seeing? Were all the fish gone? Were there no brilliant corals to see? Was there a problem? We finished that first day so quickly that he had thought he did something wrong. So, the next time we went out, he brought a local snorkeler with him, to get in the water with us to teach us to slow down and observe. We were simply missing too much in our desire to see more. The way to see was not to speed up, but to slow down.
It reminded me of watching a foreign film. You have probably had the experience if you have gone to see a foreign film at Film Streams lately. American action movies (the experts say) have more than three thousand cuts, while slow and ponderous foreign films might have one fourth as many as that. This means foreign films often ask the viewer to consider what is on the screen for four times as long as an American film would ask you to consider what is on the screen. That pace drives some Americans crazy. Why are we staring at the same scene for this long?
The longer a person is asked to look at a thing, the more is required of them. Films with long shots tend to ask more of the audience than a film with many cuts. If the film opens with a full minute of a tree or a sunrise, the director is saying, “If you’re going to enjoy this film, you have to be the kind of person who can find a tree or a sunrise interesting.” Of course, the longer the director holds a single shot, the more insistent he or she is that there is something interesting, something more to notice.
When I slowed down to observe what was around me in the water, I began to see all the things I had missed before. I started to watch the connections between different fishes, the interactions between fish and other marine life, the funny little activities that were happening as life in the water lived out its day. I spent about 20 minutes just observing an octopus as it tried to figure out if I was a friend or a foe. (Of course, when sharks swam by, I quickly got out of their way! No need to ponder what they were doing!) The world below the surface of the water was teaming with wonder and it was inviting me to slow down and truly see what was there. In the ocean it is so easy to float, so it was not even hard work to simply pause and observe.
Slowing down is necessary if we are going to appreciate the beauty God has created. Rushing through life can make us shallow and we miss so much wonder and joy along the way. Perhaps, that is the reason for the enjoyment many of you had during the ice storm. No humans were expecting anything of you that day other than to stay home and be. Maybe you made some special food, maybe you played games with your children, maybe you watched an old movie or started a good book, maybe you took a nap or maybe you just looked out the window for a very long time.
Years ago, I heard a spiritual guide describe contemplation as a “long, loving look at the real”. Prayer was not to be rushed. God has all the time of eternity and so do we. Slowing down helps us to appreciate the wonder God showers down upon us. It also demands that we be more, it demands that we notice, it invites us to be a bit like the creator – wise ones who know how to see.
Peace,
Fr. Damian