“Contemplation can occur anywhere; stained glass windows and desert retreats are not necessary. In fact, duress may facilitate the turn inward, the centering down that Howard Thurman identifies. He says,
‘How good is it to center down! To sit quietly and see one’s self pass by!’
During this moment of deep reflection, questions arise as to the nature of human existence and the deepest desires of the heart. Thurman continues,
‘We look at ourselves in this waiting moment—the kinds of people we are. The questions persist: what are we doing with our lives? What are the motives that order our days? What is the end of our doings? Where are we trying to go? Where do we put the emphasis and where are our values focused? For what end do we make sacrifices? Where is my treasure and what do I love most in life? What do I hate most in life and to what am I true?’”
[Barbara Holmes in Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church, quoting Howard Thurman’s The Centering Moment]