Gary Holloway’s latest book, “You Might Be Too Busy If…Spiritual Practices for People in a Hurry” (Leafwood Publishers, 2009), is based on this premise: “…the biggest threat to our relationship with God and the biggest barrier to our quality of life is not immorality or secularism or humanism but simply this: we are too busy.” (8)
Holloway urges us to deal with this barrier by engaging in four practices found in the life of Jesus: solitude, simplicity, Sabbath, and service.
In chapters 4-5 Holloway explores solitude (and its corresponding expression of silence) in the life of Jesus. Solitude is important because “although God is always with us, we are not always aware of his presence” and solitude opens us up to this awareness. (32) We don’t often seek out solitude because 1) we are too distracted by our own activities, or 2) we are afraid of what we might find in solitude. Holloway, however, urges us to set aside a time–fifteen to thirty minutes–every day to simply be alone with God.
What do we do in solitude? Meditation on Scripture and prayer are appropriate, but above all, Holloway recommends silence or contemplative prayer. Holloway explains the concept of contemplative prayer or centering prayer as a means of simply being with God. He writes, “The purpose of silence is not merely to rest from the noise around us. It is not primarily a way to detach ourselves from our worries and distractions. Instead, in silence we are reattaching ourselves to the Source of our lives.” (48)
[to be continued…]
