by Mary Jane Yates,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
– Matthew 13:44
…when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret… and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
– Matthew 6:6
Theologians have long puzzled over the parable of the re-hidden treasure. Even our own dear Fr. Thomas includes a reflection on this tale in his book Meditations on the Parables of Jesus. In Fr. Thomas’s interpretation, the morality of the man who hides the treasure is called into question. From this perspective, the parable is about the tendency of humankind to do something foolish with the treasures that lay hidden all around us, i.e. to think that we can own them and so the ‘hiding’ in the parable is about protecting the treasure that we have discovered instead of sharing it freely with others and especially with the One who perhaps hid the treasure in the field in the first place. In this sense, to hide the treasure again is seen as an immoral and selfish act.
I wondered about a different interpretation of this story, that it could be about the value of hidden things, things that happen in the secret places where we know the sacred also dwells. Certainly, the practice of Centering Prayer is about valuing these hidden places and the Christian scriptures are also full of references to the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places (Isaiah 45:3). I like to think the man in the parable is reminding me that sometimes it is best to leave our treasure hidden as we go out into the larger field of life and that the joy he experiences can also be ours as we participate in the often-hidden work of sharing this treasure with others. In a world where exorbitant wealth and success are flaunted at every turn, this parable teaches me about the value of humility and being willing to give up even the appearance of success as a way of truly valuing the treasure that is mine.
It also has me reflecting on how and when I practice Centering Prayer. With the advent of Zoom and the increasing opportunity to sit with others online, I wonder how I might continue to protect some of the sacredness that a more hidden life of prayer has to offer? For example, when I log into Zoom, can I remember to pause at the threshold to truly observe those with whom I am sitting? Can I greet each one with a smile or nod or feel the joy that happens as we all take our seat in this ‘circle’? Do I really need to be with others each time I sit or might the offline space of my own personal ‘closet’ still be an essential part of my everyday practice? And how might I continue to nurture my very human need for embodied presence and the ever-so-subtle miracle that happens when I sense the physical closeness of another. Many of the treasures of contemplative life are not ones that can be readily captured on camera, nor do they need to be. So in my eagerness to embrace the growing interconnectedness offered by technology, it helps me to remember the words of John O-Donohue:
In the glare of neon times,
Let our eyes not be worn
By surfaces that shine
With hunger made attractive.
…When we look into the heart,
May our eyes have the kindness
And reverence of candlelight.
That the searching of our minds
Be equal to the oblique
Crevices and corners where
The mystery continues to dwell,
Glimmering in fugitive light.