ALL WHO WANDER

“Not all those who wander are lost.” J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) writer and poet.

This phrase reminded me of instructions from Isaac the Syrian (613-700) early Christian bishop, on wandering in prayer:
“When you are in prayer, do not ask to be entirely free of mental wandering, which is impossible, but seek to wander following something that is good. For even pure prayer consists in a wandering which follows something – but this wandering is excellent, seeing that the search for something good is excellent. Wandering is bad when someone is distracted by empty thoughts or by pondering on something bad, and so he thinks evil thoughts when he is praying to God.
Wandering is good when the mind wanders on God during the entire extent of a prayer, in God’s glory and majesty, stemming from a recollection of the scriptures, from an understanding of the divine utterances and holy words of the Spirit. For we do not consider as alien to purity of prayer and detrimental to recollection of thought in prayer any profitable recollection that may spring up from the writings of the Spirit, resulting in insights and spiritual understanding of the divine world during the time of prayer. For someone to examine and think in a recollected manner about the object of his supplication and the request of his prayer is an excellent kind of prayer, provided it is consonant with the intention of the Lord’s commandment. This kind of recollection of the mind is very good.”
This is welcome advice and counsel to those of us who wander even when we are wandering…and wondering what’s going on. Maybe we are not as lost as we thought.
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.” Jesus