Spirit in the here-and-now.

The full life of the Spirit, then, is once more declared to be active,
contemplative, ascetic and apostolic; though nowadays we express these
abiding human dispositions in other and less formidable terms. If we
translate them as work, prayer, self-discipline and social service they
do not look quite so bad. But even so, what a tremendous programme to
put before the ordinary human creature, and how difficult it looks when
thus arranged! That balance to be discovered and held between due
contact with this present living world of time, and due renunciation of
it. That continual penetration of the time-world with the spirit of
Eternity.

But now, in accordance with the ruling idea which has occupied us in
this book, let us arrange these four demands in different order. Let us
put number three first: "ever seeking and finding the Eternal."
Conceive, at least, that we do this really, and in a practical way. Then
we discover that, placed as we certainly are in a world of succession,
most of the seeking and finding has got to be done there; that the times
of pure abstraction in which we touch the non-successive and
supersensual must be few. Hence it follows that the first and second
demands are at once fully met; for, if we are indeed faithfully seeking
and finding the Eternal whilst living--as all sane men and women must
do--in closest contact with the Particular and Fleeting, our acceptances
and our renunciations will be governed by this higher term of
experience. And further, the transcendent Otherness, perpetually
envisaged by us as alone giving the world of sense its beauty, reality
and value, will be incarnated and expressed by us in this sense-life,
and thus ever more completely tasted and known. It will be drawn by us,
as best we can, and often at the cost of bitter struggle, into the