Word into Silence

John Main

Summary of main points

• The Christian Vision of life, unity, is the idea underlying the discipline of meditation: “It sees that all mankind has
  been unified in the One who is in union with the Father. All matter, all creation, too, is drawn into the cosmic
  movement towards unity that will be the realization of the Divine harmony… In union we become who we are
  called to be. Only in union do we know fully who we are.” (Preface, vii)
  
• There should be no polarization of the active and the contemplative life: “The most harmful effect has been to
  alienate the majority of Christians from that same deep prayer which transcends complexity and restores unity.” “The
  call to sanctity is universal.” (Preface, viii)
  
• The call to unity has wider implications: “Unity amongst Christians as well as, in the long term, unity among
  different races and creeds rests upon our finding the inner principle of unity as a personal experience within our own
  hearts.” (Preface, ix)
  
• Christian prayer places absolute faith in the Power of Christ: “ The Christian, in his prayer, renounces his own
  power. He leaves self behind. In so doing he places absolute faith in the power of Christ as the only power that
  increases the unity among men because it is the power of love, the power of union itself.” (Preface, ix)
  
• Our prayer is the entry into the prayer experience of Jesus: “The Christian has been given freedom from all
  problematic questions about prayer by the revelation that what he calls ‘his prayer’ is nothing less than an entry into
  the prayer-experience of Jesus himself, the Spirit, the bond of union with the Father… The ultimate secret has been
  revealed: “the secret is this - Christ in you”… “we possess the mind of Christ”. (Preface, x) “There is only one prayer,
  the stream of love between the Spirit of the risen Jesus and His Father, in which we are incorporate.” (p.39)
  
• Meditation is responding to your own nature: “Learning to meditate is not just a matter of mastering a technique.
  It is much more learning to appreciate and respond directly to the depths of your own nature, not human nature in
  general but your own in particular.” (p.1)
  
• Being in relationship is the essential context of meditation: “The essential context of meditation is to be found in
  the fundamental relationship of our lives, the relationship that we have as creatures with God, our Creator.” (p.1)
  
• Self-knowledge is the first step: “Most of us have to get into touch with ourselves first, to get into a full relationship
  with God.” (p.1)” “Meditation is thus a process of self-discovery.” (p.20) ”who we are and why we are” (p.4)