Christian Meditation

One of the best things about this book is what it is not: it is not any type of "how-to" guide (as if God were somehow made accessible through magical-mathematical formulas). Rather, Hans Urs Von Balthasar offers extended reflections upon the possibility of Christian meditation, the experience of meditation and the meaning of union with God.Although a short read, this is also a demanding read. Balthasar notes that Christian meditation is fundamentally relational as it takes place between two subjects - the one who meditates and God - but also takes place within the context of the larger community of subjects - the Church. Christian meditation, then, does not ever allow for any type of abandonment of the world; rather, it leads to an engagement in the world and for the world - just like Christ. Two discussions, in particular, make this book stand out: firstly, the discussion on the silence of God is worth the price of the book alone. Balthasar writes that the silence of God is always meaningful and that our speech to and about God ultimately culminates in silence - not because it is meaningless, but because it is surpassed. Silence is not absence but is, instead, a real recognition of presence and participation.Secondly, Balthasar's reflections on union with God take the path of reflection on Mary's reception of the Word of God, which means receiving God's Word and then allowing the Word to be brought forth. Mary becomes less an object for devotion and more a subject (like other Biblical subjects, but preeminently) to be engaged and whose story is worth reflecting deeply upon.This book is well worth the short amount of time it takes to read, and well worth the direction and perspective it gives to the one who seeks to bear Christ and birth his Presence into the world.