Seven Words

Seven words. Just seven. A bit different from the highly-charged political climate today in which politicians can't seem to control their wordiness.  Different from our churches in which a multiplicity of words seems to be the "coin of the realm".  Seven words: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me."  They called it simply "the Jesus prayer".  And, for centuries, it has served as the key element in empowering believers to "practice the presence of God."  It was designed not as some religious mantra, not as the kind of vain repetition that Jesus had such strong words against.  Its design was to be a simple, quiet prayer (always avoiding calling attention to itself) to occupy the heart (not just the lips) of the believer as a constant reminder throughout the day that the Lord is ALWAYS present with us.  He never leaves, never divorces, never deserts, never abandons.  He is present.  And we need to remember that.  When we're loading the dishwasher after dinner, when we're picking up the kids from school, when we're facing that incredible deadline at work, when we're sitting at the computer pondering whether or not to surf the porn sites, when the young secretary asks us if we'd like to "do lunch".  At those times when He either seems far away or something within us wishes for a moment that He were, we need to be reminded that he is close enough to hear the beating of our heart, catch our tears in His jar, and count the hairs on our head.  That close.

As that reminder, the ancients employed the Jesus prayer, always in the heart, ever-so-softly spoken on the lips, never calling attention to itself, but always focusing attention to the One Who is here.  Utterred under one's breath hundreds of times during a typical day, practicing the presence. "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me."  Seven words.  We owe a great debt to those seven words whether we realize it or not.  In the history of spirituality, they helped get us to where we are.  Where exactly IS that with you?  Maybe we would do well to renew the ancient practice.  Maybe we, too, need reminding throughout the day that He is HERE.  "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me."