“Contemplation is a very dangerous activity. It not only brings us face to face with God. It brings us, as well, face to face with the world, face to face with the self. And then, of course, something must be done. Nothing stays the same once we have found the God within…. We carry the world in our hearts: the oppression of all peoples, the suffering of our friends, the burdens of our enemies, the raping of the Earth, the hunger of the starving, the joy of every laughing child.”

If the thought of the synergy of contemplation and social justice appeals to you, check out the book by Tony Campolo and Mary Darling, The God of Intimacy and Action,  Reconnecting Ancient Spiritual Practices, Evangelism and Justice.  If you haven’t ready my post Make the history you want to live in, you may want to look at that, too,

Joan Chittister has written several wonderful books including:  Monastery of the Heart, an Invitation to the Meaningful Life and The Rule of  Benedict, a Spirituality for the 21st Century.

Finally, The Center for Contemplation and Action, Fr. Richard Rohr’s website is a treasure chest of thinking about the value of blending these two philosophies:  https://cac.org