Let us be honest with ourselves. Our contemplative practice is not just about letting go; it’s also about what we are holding on to. As we release ego-driven motives for success, control, or purity, we must ask what is filling that space. Are we growing in compassion? Are we more connected to those who suffer? If the emptiness of 'letting go' is not pretty soon filled up by 'holding on' to some kind of deep solidarity with the suffering of the world, it’s not Christian contemplation or even meaningful contemplation at all. Our practice must lead us into deeper solidarity with the pain of the world — the grieving, the hungry, the oppressed. Without that, we risk slipping into a detached, private spirituality that serves only ourselves. Let us commit to something more — not perfect motivation, but a heart that is expanding. In this expansion, we may discover a more authentic way of being present to the suffering around us.
May our letting go be matched by a deeper holding on
— to compassion, solidarity, and the suffering of the world.
(inspired by Richard Rohr, Unpublished teaching)