There is a marvelous bonus waiting for those who entrust themselves to God in intimate prayer. Just as you bring all your everyday concerns to God in prayer, and talk to him about how you really feel (which may well include expressing your anger and frustration with him from time to time), so, steadily, he will open up more and more of himself to you—or rather, he will increasingly open up your own inner vision, to notice him in everything around you and to recognize his presence in every moment.
I personally have become convinced that there is nothing on earth that doesn’t reveal some fragment of the reality of its maker, nor any moment that I live that doesn’t hold God concealed within it. Sometimes this is obvious, as in a beautiful sunset. Sometimes it remains hidden. The Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins calls it the “inscape” of things—that inner mysterious reality that we might even call their Who center, where God himself is indwelling. People have their inscapes too, and to be in an intimate relationship with someone is to be in touch with their inscape and allow them to be in touch with yours.
—Excerpted from Inner Compass by Margaret Silf
Yes, ‘that inner mysterious reality that we might even call their Who center, where God himself is indwelling. People have their inscapes too, and to be in an intimate relationship with someone is to be in touch with their inscape and allow them to be in touch with yours’, this is bliss! It comes in varying degrees with different people, but I seek it out, and pray for its blossoming where I struggle to relate. This is important to me. A learning curve. Where I could be judgemental, ‘He must increase, I decrease’. I’m pushed too to ‘simply pray’ …
Beautiful reflection.
I was particularly drawn to the Hopkins reference “inscape” which found new language to express the Creator’s inviting presence in us and everything around us – particularly human relationships as referenced in the last line above. However, I must confess that I was distracted by the 7 gender-based references to “Him” (6 in the first 6 lines!)
The Creator is so much greater than an anthropomorphic “Him” assigned by religious writers and religious cultures of modern times whose language reflects a gender-bias firmly affixed to earlier ancient times- be it the Middle Ages or the time of Jesus.
Rob nice comment on gender. Me. Ms Silf “inscape” simply led me into prayer. Just wanted to “test” her insight. And it worked. Had a wonderful time with the Lord. He’s nice to have beside me and within. And to experience “iscape” in acti;on. Thanks for your comment. It pushes me to simply pray.