Reading cool monks again today—this one presents something which is almost the opposite of what we see in the entertainment focused and outer focused philosophies and ways of our day: what’s formed in the dark hidden spaces of your life when you are alone with your God, is what empowers ethics and outer performances….tend the inner to be useful in the outer.. it even helps with racism if we think about weeding things out in ourselves before trying to help others. Areas of fear and pride—the two roots of racism-can be dealt with in the dark hidden space in ourselves firstly, then we can offer things outwardly to others, or even society as a whole.
“It’s what you store up when no one but your angels are watching that matters and produces the seen fruit later. Who you are backstage produces the true spectacle on stage. The unseen dictates the seen. Invest in the unseen. The roots are where the work is, the rest follows, and eventually becomes overt. As a baby is formed in an unseen womb so true spirituality is formed in hiddenness. Character is formed in the dark. If it were just you and God in the entire universe, how would you behave-what would you be? The fruit of what is happening in the hidden, will be one day seen.” 1st C monk (my translation).
I think this is especially true for performers or public servants, this in the public eye, or ministers, who are symbols of His church. The whole thing forms backstage when no one is watching—at least in terms of character, or matters of the heart. The inner tree produces the outer fruit. So, root care matters! We can only offer what we already contain in our hearts.
“The degree to which we are actually formed-that His Real Life is actually in us- is the exact circumference of our sphere of lasting influence and blessing we have in life around us.”