During times of great anxiety and uncertainty, when it seems like the fate of the world is hanging in the balance, there wells up within us a great desire to "do something." And so we thrash around, giving our inner agitation an outlet.
I walk. If I need to tell God about it, I do. But I practice still prayer. I practice dropping into my body and saying a prayer word. It’s amazing how that has healed my mind. God has slowly shifted my eyes away from the culture wars. There’s so much glory, so much love in creation.
What does this look like in practice? I can conceptualize it as a resistance against internal threats like anxiety, fear, worry, anger, and other emotions, I'm sure. But what does it mean to resist the powers and principalities with stillness for everyday life?
Eriksen, it seems to me that what you are asking about is the sense of peace that comes with the sure confidence that your citizenship is not of this world, but of the Kingdom of Heaven. Born and raised in the USA, I am but a sojourner in this world. And as a sojourner I have committed to refocusing my faith and practice from human explanation and interpretation of what the Christian life is and looks like, to Jesus' teachings and his lived example. The seminal reading for me in this was "Searching for the Pattern", by John Mark Hicks. It might or might not be right for you. I have come believe that the Christian witness comes out of a deep inner peace that is cultivated through lots of prayer, and seeking the comfort and quiet indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I began by adopting Proverbs 3:5-6 as my daily mantra. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on human understanding. In all your ways acknowlege Him, and he will prepare your way" (Susie's paraphrase). As for Jesus' example, He did not actively resist the power and authorities, but focused on blessing one person at a time. I try to make a difference in this world, not through demonstration, expressing my opinions on social media (does Substack count as social media?) or even joining causes, except volunteering with the Red Cross for a season, but one person at a time, face to face, pausing to see them and planting a small seed of love and kindness, while the storm that is our world right now blows around us. That is how we resist the powers and authorities of this world, by loving the people we meet, even those who disagree with us. Sorry for the long post, hope it helps get you started.
I understand the emotional regulation that stillness can achieve and how that is perhaps related to orienting the self to resist better, but I am wondering if stillness itself can be an act of resistance. I am thinking of resistance as strictly pertaining to external forces rather than internal states.
We need to do it all...be still, stand firm, seek, knock, open. There's wisdom in all. No room for shame here, but circumstances do call for a response. We can, at a minimum, stand UP.
There are times to be still and times to fight. Understanding how Father/Son/Spirit are asking me to participate in this moment is growth in maturity, wisdom and relationship.
Thank you for this reminder. I use a combination of meditation and medical hypnosis training for supporting myself toward calm. Stillness to me is the Gateway to calm. Polyvagal breath work training is the action that is available immediately to anyone in pursuit of relaxation, a distillation of anxiety. As my body slows down, so does my flight fright system begin to regulate itself. This is an action that one can take safely and supportively. Mind follows body and all is well.
This reminds me of a quote from Bayo Akomolafe: "The times are very urgent, therefore we must slow down."
I walk. If I need to tell God about it, I do. But I practice still prayer. I practice dropping into my body and saying a prayer word. It’s amazing how that has healed my mind. God has slowly shifted my eyes away from the culture wars. There’s so much glory, so much love in creation.
What does this look like in practice? I can conceptualize it as a resistance against internal threats like anxiety, fear, worry, anger, and other emotions, I'm sure. But what does it mean to resist the powers and principalities with stillness for everyday life?
Eriksen, it seems to me that what you are asking about is the sense of peace that comes with the sure confidence that your citizenship is not of this world, but of the Kingdom of Heaven. Born and raised in the USA, I am but a sojourner in this world. And as a sojourner I have committed to refocusing my faith and practice from human explanation and interpretation of what the Christian life is and looks like, to Jesus' teachings and his lived example. The seminal reading for me in this was "Searching for the Pattern", by John Mark Hicks. It might or might not be right for you. I have come believe that the Christian witness comes out of a deep inner peace that is cultivated through lots of prayer, and seeking the comfort and quiet indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I began by adopting Proverbs 3:5-6 as my daily mantra. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on human understanding. In all your ways acknowlege Him, and he will prepare your way" (Susie's paraphrase). As for Jesus' example, He did not actively resist the power and authorities, but focused on blessing one person at a time. I try to make a difference in this world, not through demonstration, expressing my opinions on social media (does Substack count as social media?) or even joining causes, except volunteering with the Red Cross for a season, but one person at a time, face to face, pausing to see them and planting a small seed of love and kindness, while the storm that is our world right now blows around us. That is how we resist the powers and authorities of this world, by loving the people we meet, even those who disagree with us. Sorry for the long post, hope it helps get you started.
See my comment as a physiological stepping stone toward calming the senses. A vital first action step toward calm.
I understand the emotional regulation that stillness can achieve and how that is perhaps related to orienting the self to resist better, but I am wondering if stillness itself can be an act of resistance. I am thinking of resistance as strictly pertaining to external forces rather than internal states.
We need to do it all...be still, stand firm, seek, knock, open. There's wisdom in all. No room for shame here, but circumstances do call for a response. We can, at a minimum, stand UP.
But what if a person stands up in a way you find profoundly antithetical to what you’re standing up for? Then what?
There are times to be still and times to fight. Understanding how Father/Son/Spirit are asking me to participate in this moment is growth in maturity, wisdom and relationship.
Thank you so much for this.
Thank you for this reminder. I use a combination of meditation and medical hypnosis training for supporting myself toward calm. Stillness to me is the Gateway to calm. Polyvagal breath work training is the action that is available immediately to anyone in pursuit of relaxation, a distillation of anxiety. As my body slows down, so does my flight fright system begin to regulate itself. This is an action that one can take safely and supportively. Mind follows body and all is well.