by Mary Johnson / The oldest teachers are often the most disarming. A thirteenth-century Dominican offers seven lines that undo a lifetime of effort — and Mary Johnson, who spent a career earning her way, recognizes herself in them.
The Rest
by Meister Eckhart
Don’t try to find God.
Simplify your scattered life,
and become one
in yourself.
Then, God will
find you. The rest
will follow.
_ translated by Jon M. Sweeney and Mark S. Burrows, from Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart
Mary’s Reflection
Most of my working life was spent in academia: gaining more education, meeting requirements for promotion, teaching and advising students. This reading helped me realize I have been approaching my spiritual life with the same mindset — as if I needed to work harder so God would promote me, give me a raise, or give me an A.
It’s not about working harder at Centering Prayer, reading more books, or attending more retreats, although these are all useful. God is not going to give me a grade or promote me to higher rank. It’s about simplifying my life and trusting that God will find me. Seems simple, but it’s hard for me to remember.
How the Word Works
Unlike the poems of recent weeks, Eckhart’s words come to us as a contemplative proverb. The wisdom is so compressed that nothing can be added without weakening it.
Eckhart wrote in thirteenth-century Germany, and yet simplify your scattered life lands in the twenty-first century as if written this morning. This is the contemplative proverb’s particular power: it does not tell you more than you need. It tells you exactly enough, and then trusts you to reflect and respond.
A Simple Practice
Eckhart teaches that God will find you. This week, try the ancient practice of simply making yourself available. Set aside ten minutes with no agenda, no reading, no music. Sit quietly and do nothing in particular — not as a technique, but as an act of trust.
You are not finding God. You are being findable.
Mary’s Bio
Mary Johnson grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and spent more than 40 years as a nurse, the last 30 at Rush Medical Center in psychiatric nursing. She has been a member of Old St. Patrick’s Church since the late 1980s, serving in Community Outreach and as a Eucharistic Minister. An Adventures in Contemplation retreat introduced her to Centering Prayer, and she has been part of Still Point since its beginning in 2019. She describes herself as a consistent seeker, drawn to the shared wisdom across spiritual traditions.
Poems, Parables & Proverbs was a Sunday email series shared with the Still Point community through the summer of 2026. Each week offered a text, a reflection from a member of our community, and a simple practice for the week ahead.