Loitering with Intent - and -Retreats...
"Sir - you are charged with Loitering with Intent". Ever hear that one? It's gone out fashion these days but I remember it back in the nearly civil war days of Ireland in the 70's and 80's... The 1900's that is :::)
How long you have to just hang around before you loiter - never mind "with intent" - is where lawyers make their money...
Let me introduce you to Evelyn Underhill.
Evelyn Underhill was a English religious and pacifist writer in the early 1900's (1875-1941) and is best known for her book "Mysticism: A Study of the Nature and Development of Man's Spiritual Consciousness" (pub 1911). Underhill's (or Mrs Moore to her friends due to her late husband's name) book can best be described these days as falling into the philosophical mystic category. If you want to read it, it's available on Amazon - but let me know what you think! Moving quickly forwards -
“one of Underhills quotes I resonate with is equating Retreats to - yes our opening phrase - “Loitering with Intent” ”
So what is a Retreat? Does it involve loitering?! Is it silent? Is it religious? And above all - does going on a retreat make me look uncool?
A Christian community in NE England, Northumbria, who I have a lot of respect for, talk about retreats. They describe retreats as setting aside time for "a change of focus" and a "deliberate act of stepping outside of normal routine by withdrawing from the noise and pressures" that modern life brings. They also talk about "loitering...."
Whatever you think of retreats, and whether only the slightly unhinged attend, is neither here nor there. Suffice it to say that luminaries - at least in my eyes - like Rory Stewart aka TRIP The Rest is Politics podcast, talk passionately about 11 day silent retreats. Even that sounds off my personal comfort radar...
Other less radical proponents of retreat such as Sean Tucker talk about the idea of getting away (in his case to an Icelandic storm-swept cabin). Whether you're a Buddhist, a Yogi, a creator or a Christian, you'll be familiar with the concept of retreats. Or at minimum, in a vague form.
Northumbria talk about retreats as being
"all about Prayer, Pilgrimage and Perspective".
To what extent you can engage with the essence of retreats - whatever your philosophical or religious background - in a motorway Starbucks is questionable. Tucker suggests you just get away - even to your local café for a few hours and read - to be of value. It's certainly better than nothing and in all reality, may be all that you can afford to give in terms of time and money.
However we're now in a post-Covid stage (praying...). And sort of past the Great Resignation. Only to enter the Great Realignment phase. In essence, society at large is asking a lot of questions which Covid and lockdowns brought to a head.
Reprioritise. Reimagine. Reconnect even.
What does time-out mean to you?
Are retreats just a matter of "getting away".
To what extent are those "P" words - Prayer / Pilgrimage / Perspective and those "R" words - Refresh / Reimagine / Reconnect interlinked?
And do any of them involve "Retreat"?
Over to you!
