The weekend before last I went to a concert in Sydney with my eldest son – a Christmas present from him to me. Apart from always relishing time with him, I was amazed at the fact there was not a single empty seat in the concert hall. And, to see a minimalist, ambient, art music composer called Max Richter.

In true minimalist (or post-minimalist) style, the music evolves after much repetition, and is often slow moving. It is meditative music that invites rather than demands our attention. During the concert, I found myself closing my eyes and really letting it take me elsewhere. I was not always conscious where “elsewhere” indeed was, but I was transported. The dimly lit auditorium and the attentiveness of the audience facilitated this.

It struck me after the evening, how difficult it is for us to stop, and give our full attention to something. To be still, and silent, and respond simply by listening. I guess prayer offers that same invitation, yet we often find it hard to submit fully to it. In a world where everything is right now, urgent, demands our response, and multiple calls on our time tug us first one way, then another, what a joy it is to be completely present to just one thing. And that thing is constantly drawing us away from the now, to something or somewhere else.

Meditation is hard. Some say that they find their mind wandering, and can’t concentrate. That’s ok. Let the mind wander! Let it go where it wants. I have found meditation well-nigh impossible in the past, but like anything that we want to get better at, it is a discipline, and one that needs to be practised. Expecting to be fully immersed and engaged in meditation immediately is too big a task. Starting with short 30 second or one minute meditation sessions is a good way to begin.

Soon, Lent will be upon us. I am going to remind myself in the busy-ness of doing business, that the world will not stop turning if we choose to stop, just for a little while, and meditate, and pray. At our College we stop every morning to pray. We set the scene by adopting a posture of prayer, and we take just a few minutes to get out of ourselves, and give thanks, and communicate with our God. This invitation is provided again and again.

If you’re interested in learning more about Max Richter (and I am not on commission here!) have a listen to Sleep, or In a Landscape, or The Blue Notebooks. It’s magical stuff!

Dr Craig Wattam