In his book, An Ocean of Light: Contemplation, Transformation, and Liberation, contemplative and academic Martin Laird makes the case for contemplative practices. To advance his argument early in the book, Laird brings together two unlikely thought partners: the post-modernist author David Foster Wallace and the contemporary Christian mystic Thomas Merton.
“Composed over fifty years ago, ‘Contemplation in a World of Action’ remains one of Merton’s most important essays. Wallace acknowledges our need to have sufficient skills of interiority in order to become aware of our own self-centered patterns of thinking and behaving. He likewise realizes that we can actually choose what we give our attention to. In choosing to give our attention to something other than the monologues going on in our heads, we meet the possibility of becoming less self-centered and more compassionate people. Merton would have no problem with Wallace on this point, but Merton would say that we have to go yet deeper – journey much deeper into our own uncharted lands.”
Over the last three weeks, students in Georgetown’s Summer College Immersion Program (previously discussed by Mission in Motion here, here, and here) have had the opportunity to develop the skills of interiority through four reflection sessions that I’ve led. The purpose of these four sessions is to introduce the rising high school seniors, who come to Georgetown for three intensive weeks from KIPP, Cristo Rey, and other similar schools around the country, to the critical importance of developing habits of self-reflection. While four sessions are not enough to go as deep as our “uncharted lands” as Merton would prefer, there is no doubt that students leave the experience with a clearer impression that Georgetown strives to live out its commitment to educating the whole person by embodying contemplation in action.
The sessions are structured as a movement in four stages. The first session is a broad introduction to the mission and values of Georgetown with a special emphasis on the University’s interreligious character and principle of inclusive spiritual life. Students learn early about the Examen of Consciousness, a uniquely Jesuit approach to reflecting on daily experience.
The second session explores different strands in the historical development of spiritual practice. Students learn about different ways of praying and meditating, appreciating the distinction between image-less models (called apophatic) of prayer and models that rely on concepts, ideas, and texts (called kataphatic). These ideas are applied through a practice of silent meditation that resembles the tradition of Centering Prayer.
Session three introduces the Jesuit concept of discernment and demonstrates its inherent practicality and applicability to personal and professional life. Students learn about what ingredients are necessary for an authentic discernment and are invited to begin considering their own discernments. With the college decision process animating their lives, the SCIP students especially appreciate this opportunity to further reflect on what they are deeply seeking from the college admissions process.
And finally, the fourth session brings the reflection sessions to a close with a focused look at the Ignatian decision-making framework. Students have the opportunity to listen to each other and share advice about how to approach their biggest decisions in the coming year. Almost everyone raises similar questions about the college search process. During the mock interview process at the end of the final week in which the students are paired with Georgetown staff and faculty acting as interviewers, I had the opportunity to ask students to share more about their desires and goals for their college search. I could tell in these interviews that the techniques of Jesuit discernment introduced in the reflection sessions had begun to take hold.
The SCIP program is truly one of the most mission-aligned efforts led by Georgetown SCS. The opportunity to introduce such promising young people to the invitational and inclusive style of Jesuit reflection practiced at Georgetown is a joy. In a way that would likely satisfy Laird, Merton, and Wallace, students learn firsthand how to practice inner reflection in a way that encourages them to be even more generous and other-centered in a noisy world.