Theologian Matthew Fox says in his book on Thomas Merton, that each one of us is a mystic, an artist, and a prophet.

That’s a pretty bold statement. Some of us might say we’re one of these. Many of us might say we’re not any of them, yet Fox states that not only are all three of these roles in each one of us, but they all work together. Each plays an important part in the inner unfolding or becoming of self.

“Our real journey in life is interior; it is a matter of growth, deepening, and of an even greater surrender to the creative action of love and grace in our hearts. Never was it more necessary to respond to that action.” ~ Thomas Merton

I was completely smitten with this quote by Merton. Normally, we consider an active response to what’s happening in the world as worthy, but we don’t necessarily ascribe the same value to a response to what’s happening inside of us.

Can you imagine what type of world we’d live in if everyone responded to the creative action of love and grace in their hearts? Fox describes four steps that take place in this inner unfolding – The Via Positiva, Via Negativa, Via Creativa, and Via Transformativa. I was struck by how these steps mirrored the steps to pause, focus, and connect in photography.

Pause 

The first two steps of Fox’s process are the Via Positiva and the Via Negativa and they each describe different aspects of pausing.

• The Via Positiva – the inner experience of awe, wonder, and gratitude. We grow by opening and responding to the beauty and wonder in the world. We fall in love with what we discover.

• The Via Negativa – the inner experience of facing uncertainty, darkness, and suffering. This is the place where we let go and let be; we rest in solitude and silence, empty ourselves, and just listen.

The pause is a time to go inwards, checking in with what’s resonating through our senses and what we’re feeling, without judgment. This is the role of the mystic or contemplative. It’s where we listen to ourselves and to the world with humility and acceptance. It’s a time of opening and receiving.

Merton describes the sense of awe he felt, both in nature and in the heart of the city.

“The silence of the forest is my bride and the sweet dark warmth of the whole world is my love and out of the heart of that dark warmth comes the secret that is heard only in silence, but it is the root of all secrets that are whispered by all the lovers in their beds all over the world.”

“Yesterday, in Louisville, at the corner of 4th and Walnut, I suddenly realized that I loved all these people and that none of them were, or could be, totally alien to me.”

Focus

Fox’s third step is the Via Creativa and it describes the creative artist in each of us. A creative response can take many forms.

• The Via Creativa – the experience of passion and creativity. Creativity is how the universe grows and evolves, so how could it not be in us too?

This creative process requires the first two steps. We take that inner experience and begin to birth something new, in co-creation with our encounters in the world. This is where we begin to focus outwards and pay close attention. We get curious and decide what’s most important so that the essence of our subject is revealed through our work.

Merton responded to his inner contemplation through many art forms – writing, poetry, zen calligraphy, teaching, and photography. He lived much of his time in solitude and silence, but it was this contemplative time that fed his writing and teaching (and photography). Psychologist Thomas Moore wrote about Merton’s love for photography.

“It makes complete sense that he would have discovered an art that smoothly connected his contemplative life with the world around him in a form analogous to his writing.”

Connect 

Fox’s final step in the inner unfolding is the Via Transformitiva, which describes the prophet in each of us; how we connect with and transform the world.

• The Via Transformativa – the experience of justice, compassion, and healing. It is what calls us into action. We use our creativity in a way that espouses our values and priorities.

This is the step where we take action; where our inner unfolding through contemplation and creativity connects with what’s needed in the world. This doesn’t always show up as big and bold. Any creative action will result in some kind of transformation. For example, a photograph or a piece of writing or an act of kindness can touch someone else in a way that is powerful and healing.

It is the prophet in us that makes a difference in the world. Here’s Merton on prophesy.

“To prophesy is not to predict, but to seize on reality in its moment of highest expectation and tension toward the new. This tension is discovered not in hypnotic elation but in the light of everyday existence.”

To take effective action, to connect at a deep level, to make an impact, we learn to see all possibilities, decide on the most effective action to take, or the most effective picture to make.

Contemplation provides the springboard for creativity and transformation.

The first two steps, to pause and focus, are often missing or not emphasized in photography. We place more importance on the connection, and react quickly by clicking the shutter. Then, we wonder why our photographs feel flat. They don’t reflect our experience or what we saw. When we spend more time pausing and focusing, the connection becomes natural.

Next week, I’ll describe my own recent experience of this inner unfolding. How do you practice pausing and focusing?

Read more about Matthew Fox’s Creation Spirituality.

** Books mentioned have Amazon affiliate links, meaning I make a few cents if you purchase through my link. I only recommend books that I’ve read.