6. Interviewing Spiritual Advisor of the Meditation Community

Published on Kung Kao Po,

Chinese Catholic Weekly, on 9th August, 2020

This is the last article for the Maranatha Series, being an interview with Father Tommy Murphy, Spiritual Advisor of the World Community for Christian Meditation (Hong Kong)

It has been a marvelous journey of peace and discovery working with the Christian meditators in Hong Kong for the last ten years. Seeing their examples of peace, commitment and discipline in saying Maranatha has challenged me to be more devoted to my own practice of meditation. This is a great consolation to me and also reminds me that I too can have the same peace and freedom from anxiety if I focus more on my daily practise of meditation.

I agree totally with John Main, the Master of meditation whose belief is that ” Meditation creates community” because although some people meditate together even though they may not have previously known each other, however, when they meditate together, they are able to have a new type of spiritual friendship not based on blood or neighborhood relationship, but on the fact that they share silence together. Meditation also develops relationship. Recently we have cooperated with other Christian Churches organizing “Maranatha” meditation camps together, providing a solid common spiritual ground for the promotion of better relations with each other.

The main benefit of saying the mantra is that we learn to let go, we learn to leave aside the `ego self’ with its worries, anxieties and its many plans. Instead we are able to prepare our inner heart saying the mantra. This helps us to calm down and move away from our ego self. Then we are in a better position to feel that God is with us and hear God’s word.

Hong Kong is in a very special and difficult situation and there are many conflicting opinions and suggestions about the best way forward. However, no matter what happens, we have to remain calm and recollected. Certainly, the practice of meditation helps us to regain rebirth and have a glimpse of what God’s plan for Hong Kong might be. If we are over-excited, we will lose control and fail to understand God’s plans. Meditation helps us become more able to listen to others and discern what God is asking of Hong Kong people.

Maranatha----” Come, Lord”.

by Lina Lee, Hon Member, The World Community for Christian Meditation (Hong Kong)