Matthew under the arm 76

For two days, I looked for Columba in the centre of the town, where I was told I would find him. There he was leaning against a wall next to the prison. He had tears in his eyes as he watched men arriving bound, pale faced and with that strange mixture of defiance and fear. I was transfixed at Columba's intense identification with the prisonners. By now, I have learnt that on these occasions when I see such intensity in his face, to let him be. Eventually when all the prison gates clanged shut, I rushed across to Columba to express my relief at finding him at last. 'I have found you and caught up with you at last,' I said lamely. 'More importantly,' Columba said in a low tone, 'Follow Christ'. 'Stop being so pious!', I retorted irritated that he didn't seem to miss me. I added in a fed-up tone,'Where is He anyway?' All Columba did was to point to the prison and put his finger up to his lips. 'Shshsh'


Matthew 16:13-20....
The centre is the revelation of God. God becomes present now and that presence is experienced in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the realisation of God. The terms 'prophet', 'Son of man', 'Christ' have enormous and unfathomable significance for Jewish and Christian cultures. The disciples at this stage could not possibly take in this breath-taking encyclopaedia of theology. The silence that Jesus demands allows space for awe and understanding to grow. To keep the realisation quiet is to acknowledge that religious cultures have the inclination to 'own', to 'possess' creeds. Christ points beyond such imprisonment.

That in your heart and mind you may realise the Christ in you: the hope of glory

So the 'strict order' for silence is the demand that you enter the Love of God… in silence. The mystery of Love you will meet in the silence of you prayer but also in the silent action of Love, where Love can only be understood 'at a tangent' and, because of limited perception, never ‘head on’. Envisage who you think Christ to be for you. ‘Picture’ that Presence. Write or draw what you experienced in the silence.

+Martin
Argyll and The Isles