In his book, Soliloquies, Saint Augustine—theologian, philosopher, and early Church Father—writes about imaginary conversations he has between God and himself. His desire to know the God of truth spurs Augustine on an interior pursuit, and through imaginary dialogues, Augustine envisions God asking him what he wants to know.
“I want to know only two things,” Augustine states. “Who I am and who you are.”
“Nothing else?” God asks.
“Nothing else,” Augustine replies. “For everything else is relative to these two things; nothing can be known without the other also being known.”
Considering our theme this month on the soul work of belonging, Augustine’s imaginary conversation offers much to consider:
- If you were to sit down face-to-face with God and have a heart-to-heart, what would your conversation be like?
- If God were to ask you what you want to know, what would your questions be? And would you only want to know one or two things?
- If you were to ask God who you are, what do you imagine the response would be?
Truth is, our culture preaches a lot of comparative messaging about belonging, doesn’t it?
We’re told who we are as defined by the labels, jobs, and titles we hold.
We’re told what ranking we fall into based on categorized classes, looks, and status.
We’re told how well we’re “known” based on the events we attend, the extracurriculars we participate in, and the accomplishments we achieve.
Basically, we’re somebody when attached to various belongings of somebodies.
But Augustine writes, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.”
Suddenly, our sense of belonging takes on a whole new meaning when we honestly consider the questions: Who am I, God, and who are you?
As you sit with the following prompts during today’s intermission, may we invite you to not only give permission for the above questions to mull around in your mind, but to also give God permission to disrupt your presently held perspectives and beliefs about belonging.
It’s possible you and God might have very different views on where your deepest sense of belonging lies.
– With Joy
Source: To Bless the Space Between Us, Desires, by John O’Donohue, p.24
Source: Soliloquies: Augustine’s Inner Dialogue, by Saint Augustine
Pause for Thought
“Our dissatisfaction could, therefore, be the admission and awakening of our longing for the eternal. Rather than being simply the edge of some personal emptiness, it could be the first step in the opening up of our eternal belonging.”
Pause for Practice
A colloquy, also referred to as conversational prayer, is an intimate exchange between you and God.
This type of practice helps you communicate and interact with God in a deeply personal and honest way as you learn to express yourself in the same way you would with another person sitting across from you. In approaching God in this manner, you deepen your relationship through intimate and uncomplicated honesty.
For today’s colloquy, you’re invited to share a personal time of conversation with God around the topic of belonging. It doesn’t need to be complicated. This isn’t a time for requests and petitions. Just simply have a shared time of honesty and realness. Speak to God with love, affection, and respect. And create lots of space for listening and hearing.
Begin by imagining you’re having coffee with God. Picture Him sitting across from you as you ask the same questions Augustine asked:
Who am I and who are you?
Now, using the gift of your imagination, have a conversation with God about anything and everything that surfaces.
Pause for Examination
Read Augustine’s quote one more time:
“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.”
Consider the word “restless.” Is there an area of life you might be experiencing a deep sense of restlessness in?
If not restlessness, can you say you’re experiencing a deep sense of rest in life?
Hold space for what revelations and insights might surface.
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P.S. May you feel heard, understood, and loved for exactly who you are – no matter what type of gibber-talk you might be trying to speak 😉
