This article came back to mind as I read a thought about the word attention from a book about the Holy Spirit:
“The source of any profound human response is not the responding person, but the presence to which one responds. That is what creates the experience: awareness and recognition towards a beautiful thing, or towards a truth. I don't work it out, think it out. I have a sense, rather, of waiting for it, waiting for a disclosure. It is already there, ungrasped; I must relax, be still, to catch it. Attendre, attention, attendant, en attendant - all these words seem to suggest that tension of listening, waiting to be spoken to, waiting for something that is going to be said. But what brings these acts? What brings me and that truth together? What makes that beauty present to me? What makes me attentive to it?”
Quoted from the introduction to the 2004 edition of The Go Between God by John V Taylor
I haven’t read much beyond this, but I have an inkling that I know what the big picture answer to those quoted questions is, presented in the rest of the book… (it’s the Holy Spirit.)
Sharing in case this provides an interesting lead for future writing.
interesting. Thanks for sharing. I'll definitely be writing on attention in the future. For example, I wonder about the relationship between worship and attention, and how the two reinforce one another and even can be equated, in some sense.
An interesting read Andrew. I recently was wanting to encourage a friend. My written word to her was 'I see you'. Simply put, I wanted her to know she was noticed.
I relayed that I was listening intently to her circumstances. I couldn't change them, although I assured her of my prayers. There's comfort in being seen and being known that takes conscious looking. You've encouraged me to quiet the worlds noise one step further to continue looking with intent.
This article came back to mind as I read a thought about the word attention from a book about the Holy Spirit:
“The source of any profound human response is not the responding person, but the presence to which one responds. That is what creates the experience: awareness and recognition towards a beautiful thing, or towards a truth. I don't work it out, think it out. I have a sense, rather, of waiting for it, waiting for a disclosure. It is already there, ungrasped; I must relax, be still, to catch it. Attendre, attention, attendant, en attendant - all these words seem to suggest that tension of listening, waiting to be spoken to, waiting for something that is going to be said. But what brings these acts? What brings me and that truth together? What makes that beauty present to me? What makes me attentive to it?”
Quoted from the introduction to the 2004 edition of The Go Between God by John V Taylor
I haven’t read much beyond this, but I have an inkling that I know what the big picture answer to those quoted questions is, presented in the rest of the book… (it’s the Holy Spirit.)
Sharing in case this provides an interesting lead for future writing.
interesting. Thanks for sharing. I'll definitely be writing on attention in the future. For example, I wonder about the relationship between worship and attention, and how the two reinforce one another and even can be equated, in some sense.
An interesting read Andrew. I recently was wanting to encourage a friend. My written word to her was 'I see you'. Simply put, I wanted her to know she was noticed.
I relayed that I was listening intently to her circumstances. I couldn't change them, although I assured her of my prayers. There's comfort in being seen and being known that takes conscious looking. You've encouraged me to quiet the worlds noise one step further to continue looking with intent.
Thanks for that.