Brian Zahnd on the Anger and Fear Destroying Practice of Contemplative Prayer

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 5 of Brian Zahnd’s brand new memoir Water To Wine. Brian has been gracious enough to let me share portions from each chapter every week for the next couple months. This one builds upon the previous steps in Brian’s journey by disclosing the anger and fear destroying practice of contemplative prayer:

Contemplative prayer is prayer without agenda, and largely without words. But this is not to be confused with just “thinking” about something. This is bringing the issue into the presence of Jesus – the Light who coming into the world enlightens every person (John 1:4).

It’s during contemplative prayer that we can begin to move out of the darkness of fear-based bias into the light of Christ. It works like this – when we feel hurt, threatened, or angered by a person, people-group, opinion, or situation, we instinctively look through the lens of self-defense. It’s like looking at something through the sights of a gun – it’s a narrow perspective framed in fear and held in hostility.

Such a perspective is certainly not the full or true perspective. But if we are dualistic, non-contemplative people, we will think of our highly limited perspective as the total truth. It’s all we can see. This is the black-and-white world where everything is framed as win-or-lose, us-versus-them.

But do we really want a contemplative breakthrough? We may not want to gain a 360-degree perspective. We may prefer viewing the world through our gunsights. It’s simpler that way.

If you gain a new perspective beyond the cherished opinions of groupthink hostility, you have to decide what to do with it. If you choose to go public with your new perspective, you may very well be subject to vicious criticism from the old guard. 

There’s always a circumcision party who will angrily defend their exclusivist position. Paul called them dogs and said, “Beware!” (Philippians 3:2).

Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church, a non-denominational church in St. Joseph, Missouri. He is also the author of several books, including A Farewell To Mars and Beauty Will Save the World, and the brand new memoir Water To Wine. Follow him on Facebook & Twitter.