Pushing Against the Rock
I tried to find out who originally wrote this exemplum, but as it seems to be widespread on the web, I suppose it is okay to quote is as I found it here : "Author Unknown." It is the best description I have seen of what I have been trying to learn about paying attention as a way of practicing for prayer. It all depends on how to read you read the rock. For me, it is almost everything: my fencing, my scholarly work, trying to "fix" myself psychologically and spiritually, you name it. But what if, after all, the point is pushing the rock, not making it move? A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against th...