Contemplative life brings us, again and again, to the recognition of our deep unity — the oneness that lives beneath every division we imagine. And at the same time, we live inside the human condition, where division is part of the texture of almost everything we do.

Mike Kelley:

I recently visited with Phil, and we were talking about the good old times, including the very first meeting of the Contemplative Fellowship (at Folsom Prison). And he told me that John, who was very instrumental at the time (a very charismatic guy), went over to him and said, “I've got a program we’re just starting, and you're going to it.”

I visited the centering prayer group at Old Folsom Prison in the late spring of 2013. It was scary to go into the prison — its gothic-like architecture with medieval-looking gates and huge granite stones was intimidating. We had to go through several gates, walk by the men's cells, by the showers, and then across the yard in order to reach Greystone Chapel, where the centering prayer group meets.