Skylar Burris's Reviews > The Practice of the Presence of God

This is a collection of letters from Brother Lawrence primarily about how he obtained closeness to God through the “practice of the presence of God.” It begins with a narrative introduction about Brother Lawrence, incorporating some information from “interviews” (more like conversations) with him. There were some real gems in here that struck me, and I admire Brother Lawrence’s high spirituality, but I also found it difficult to relate to in some ways. “It is, however, proper to deprive [the body] sometimes, nay often, of many little pleasures which are innocent and lawful. God will not permit a soul that desires to be devoted entirely to Him to take pleasures other than with Him.” This one puzzles me – how can God not delight in his creatures taking lawful and innocent pleasures, and how can any such pleasure be apart from Him? The idea that everything in life must be deliberately spiritualized and that if it is not deliberately spiritualized it is harmful to the spiritual life is not an idea I have been able to embrace. There were also times when his theology seemed a bit heavy on the idea that God sends all inflictions and suffering and sickness to purge/cure our soul. While I think he can use those sufferings for good, I don’t know that they are usually deliberately sent to us for the purpose of soul refinement. I will have to mull this little volume over further, perhaps in a moment of greater receptivity.