Spiritual writers will often talk of "being present." This means being fully aware of and in tune to the environment that you are in. It means being attentive to those that you are with. the other day, I was assisting in the Eucharist service, when I felt unusually wiggly. Perhaps the coffee that I had consumed that morning was making me restless. I found myself unable to focus on what was happening around me. I struggle with attention quite a bit, and this has on more than one occasion been a challenge to me.
Sometimes we just can't be comfortable where we are. It is not that we have anywhere else to go, but we feel that we should be on the move. We have trouble just be-ing in a place.
Other times we feel that the best place to be is somewhere else. We may be in an okay place, but feel a desire to roam. We may also on occasion find ourselves in less than comfortable places, perhaps a lousy job or less than stellar marriage. In these times it is hard to see what the present situation can teach us.
There are also the many daily distractions that can keep us from focusing on our present situation. If I am at a coffee shop talking to a friend, there may be pictures, music, smells other conversations and a whole host of things to distract me. It may be a challenge to listen attentively to my friend, to allow him or her to be my sole focus. Our senses are so overwhelmed with stimuli that it is no small wonder that we have any real awareness of what is going on.
At the heart of presence is love. If we love others, we strive to be in tune with them. We notice things about them, like if they seem a little more down than usual, or if they themselves seem unfocused. We know when they are hurting and when they are in need. They may not tell us, but send us little clues that we must work to pick up. We are attentive because we care about those around us enough to pay attention.
Even now, I am looking at the clock, waiting until I have to be at another place. I have a lot to learn.
