by Claudia Windal

Created on: January 12, 2009

A quiet Christian life is an oxymoron for me! We Christains are called to be in the world, spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ by our words and actions. I am not a bible thumping, street corner evangelist by any means, neither am I a recluse in the confines of my home; reading, writing and praying. The example given by Jesus to his first disciples and passed on to us in Sacred Scripture, is of leadership and teaching by example. Jesus walked among the throngs, reaching out to the sick, the poor, sinners, the lonely, and others and taught that we must do likewise.

Certainly, those of us who embrace Christianity, need a time and place to be quiet; to listen to the voice of God. We are also called to keep the needs of the world before God and in a peaceful, quiet place, we pray and remember those in need. We also need a quiet place and time for centering ourselves and for being refreshed in the quiet presence of God.

What springs from this quiet time, however, is ACTION! Henri Nouwen, a contemporary Roman Catholic Theologian, speaks to both quiet time as well as action time. In his book WITH OPEN HANDS, Fr. Nouwen apeaks about those who walk through lives with closed hands, unable to give or to receive. In order to be true disciples of the Christ, we must be able to do both; to take in the teachings of Jesus and his followers who surround and support us, and to be able to translate that to the world.

Nowen tells us that in order to be disciples of the Christ, we must be neither still or silent. He writes," You are Christians as long as you constantly pose critical questions to the society you live in,..not let yourself become established in a situation of seeing calm, so long as you stay unsatisfied with the status quo. You are a Christian only when you believe that you have a role to play in the realization of the new kingdom....." (WITH OPEN HANDS, pl. 126).

How does this play out in our daily lives? Suppose that an Iranian family moves into your community. They have two children enrolled in the local public school, regularly attend religious services in a nearby suburb's mosque, and wear the traditional dress of their country and religion. The children are allowed to take the required times daily for prayer. Several other children have been heard teasing them and whispering about their "wierd religion." Your next door neighbor works with the adult nale and is irritated because he wears a head covering and is also permitted to pray at prescribed times. He comes to your home and wants to gather a group of neighbors who will work to prohibit this religious activity; "It's crazy. If I want to pray, I can do so while I sit at my desk and no one ever has to know I'm doing it.' A dozen neighbors stand with the instigator of the complaint and attend a school council meeting and write to the management of the company for which he words. Here, simply quietly going about life without asking what Jesus has taught us to do, is not the response of those who are truly committed to following the Christ. We as Christians may not remain satisified "with the status quo." Nouwen (as taught by the Christ) tells us that we must challenge the misperceptions and actions manifest by a few.

Living quiet Christian lives and acting as responsible Christians are not either/or components, but are ratther, both necessary elements of living the Christian live and responding as Christ taught us to do. Our quiet times help focus us and strengthen our responses to situations and cicumstances.

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