W. B Yeats called it the ever “widening gyre” *. The image was of a falcon and the falconer who calls the bird to its roost. The bird has flown to a distance it can no longer see or hear its master. “The falcon cannot hear the falconer. Things fall apart. The center cannot hold.” The poem refers to the forces of history or culture that take a person and a civilization away from their true self.
Something like this happens in every age of history, its effects appear in our culture today and our young people are most severely affected. We’re losing a sense of our center, our true selves, and what is most disconcerting we don’t sense the loss. The forces that separate falcon from falconer are many and complex. To keep it simple we can point to an imbalance of the “inner world” and the “outer world”.
The inner world refers to that realization a person has of himself. His center. His likes and dislikes, personality, characteristics and values. It’s our soul, our center. It’s the “me” that turns when someone calls my name.
The “outer world” of course, is that environment outside ourselves; events, persons, circumstances in which we act and are acted upon. Some have called it “the daily grind”.
Between these two poles, my human life happens. I go out of myself to encounter the world, then I return to the inner world and the conversation with myself begins. “What was that? Why did that happen? Did I do the right thing?”, etc.
These two poles of life, the going out and the returning “home”, need to be in balance. The problem is the world with its unending chatter of social media, news and entertainment, overwhelms the “inner person.” There’s no home to return to. We are in turmoil. Things fall apart.
Ever have one of those moments when television, the phone or internet are all turned off? We grow restless or slightly embarrassed to be “alone with ourselves”. The sudden quiet catches us off guard.
In the silence a weird feeling of being a stranger to our- selves comes over us. And so we check our email, text someone, see what’s on TV, phone somebody . . . any- thing to avoid being with myself.
This estrangement from ourselves has sad consequences for our relationship with God. How can we hear the voice of God if we can’t hear the voice of our own conscience. (that inner voice urging us to “do this.” OR “don’t do that” OR “good job!” OR “shame on you!” OR “that was wonderful!”
Remember Jesus telling us “when you talk to God (pray), go to your room. Close the door. And pray to your Father in secret.” Matthew. 6: 5,6 ? Why in secret? Because that is where God can enter your inner world. Here you can give your full attention to the visiting Spirit of God. “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:9
In the quiet, over time, we return to ourselves and begin to hear things in our heart once again. I remember one year on retreat at a monastery walking down a country path. Suddenly it happened . . . I heard the wind blowing through the trees. I mean I HEARD THE WIND. I heard it because I was LISTENING.
Later on, if you continue to listen, you can hear the things your heart has wanted to tell God. “Lord, it’s me. I just want to tell you . . .” Many times it’s just being aware of your feeling and giving them to God “who sees.”
So how to end this? Get quiet. Put down the Iphone. Come home to yourself. Reaquaint yourself to what you’re feeling, thinking, loving, fearing. Then. . . turn to Him. Speak anything (anything!) you want to get off your chest, be grateful for, need help with. (Remember. Let the Holy Spirit guide your prayer.)
He is there. “Your Father who hears in secret. . . knows what you need.” Matthew. 6:8
That is a promise from Christ. Trust Him.
Fr. Tim
*W.B. Yeats, The Second Coming
