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The problem of this culture is that we make natural enemies out of prayer and transforming action
when the two are really Siamese twins: either without the other is incomplete. But we keep on trying
to compartmentalize them when the purpose of life is to integrate the two.

In one of the Sayings of the Desert Masters, the disciple begs the Holy One: “Master give me a word.”
And the Holy One answers: “Go into your cell, and your cell will tell you all.”

But, though, the word is true, followers of the spiritual life know, nevertheless, the word in our day is
a problem, too. If there is a temptation in the Christian life, it is probably contemplation. Physicians talk
to us about “stress”; psychologists talk to us about “burnout”; sociologists talk to us about achieving
“space”; educators talk to us about reflection and “process.” And we all come lusting for a cave to
crawl into to do it, or at least a little cottage on a hill overlooking water, or even a small log cabin in
the woods. Any place as long as it’s some place appropriate; some place not here; some place simple
but comfortable, of course. Just me and my God. Or is it me and the gods I’ve made.

If there is a sin in the Christian life it is probably action. We talk about “strategizing” and “mobilizing”
and “lobbying” and “renewing” and “aligning” and “reforming” as if it were all up to structures; as if
action were enough. We do and do and do. And there’s the problem. We set out to do something that
the world needs, instead of to be something that the world needs. We set out to change instead of to
illuminate. And we wonder why, with all the changes, nothing ever changes. After all the changes
come, there is still the fighting, still the poverty, still the greed, still the exploitation. Why? Because
deep down inside where it counts, there is still the anger, still the arrogance, still the attitude of
control. Except that now I’m the one in control. The Chinese wrote: “Now people exploit people but
after the revolution it will be just the opposite.”

The contemplative questions for people of action in our day are: Who will be and also do? How can we
do and also be?

And of that insight into holiness, the Desert Masters tell another parable that is word and witness for
our time. The story reads:

Past the seeker on the prayer rug, came the cripple and the beggar and the beaten. And seeing them,
the Holy One went down, down, down into deep prayer and cried: “Great God! How is it that a loving
Creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?” And out of the long, long silence, God
said, “I did do something about them. I made you.”

Indeed, two poles of the spiritual life draw us at once. On the one hand, “Go into your cell and your
cell will tell you all.” And on the other, “I did do something about them. I made you.” Which of these
two stories we remember least as time goes on may be exactly the dimension of Christian life that we
need most to develop.