Contemplative Christians are suspicious of God. They strongly suspect that the unseen God is hidden yet ready to be noticed in the most confounding situations and messiest of circumstances. So Christians of a contemplative bent watch for God. They hope and pray for the ability to recognize the signs of God’s action in others, in the world surrounding them and within themselves. They long to see better, whether with the eyes, mind or heart. Contemplative Christians suspect that good reasons to grow more hopeful await those willing to view themselves and others from new perspectives. These believers are marked by their strong suspicion that the divine is not absent even when outward appearances suggest otherwise. Does any of this suggest that contemplation is reserved to only a select few Christians? At one time that was a common assumption. It seemed as though contemplation had no relevance to the lives of most laypeople. Today, however, approaches to spirituality characterized in one way or another by contemplation are a sort of norm in retreats for laypeople, parish prayer gatherings, and books or videos on prayer for individuals and groups. For example, retreats and parish adult education groups frequently explore the “Spiritual Exercises” of Ignatius of Loyola, the 16th century saint who with several friends founded the Society of Jesus — the Jesuits, that is. A basic principle of Ignatian spirituality holds that God can be found in all things. Therefore, believers should try every day to identify God’s presence in their daily lives. It probably is not surprising that Pope Francis, himself a Jesuit, wrote in his 2015 encyclical on the environment “Laudato Si’” that “the universe as a whole, in all its manifold relationships, shows forth the inexhaustible riches of God” (No. 86). Christians ought to contemplate Christ’s presence in all creation, Pope Francis suggested. For, “from the beginning of the world but particularly through the incarnation [of the Son of God], the mystery of Christ is at work in a hidden manner in the natural world as a whole,” he explained (No. 99). Pope Francis speaks frequently of contemplation as a characteristic of ordinary Christian life, as he did Sept. 25 in his homily in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. “God is in the city,” the pope declared. A “special quality of God’s people,” he commented, “is their ability to see, to contemplate, even in moments of darkness, the light that Christ brings. God’s faithful people can see, discern and contemplate his living presence in the midst of life.” Contemplating Christ’s presence in this manner has vital consequences, the pope made clear. “Knowing that Jesus still walks our streets, that he is part of the lives of his people, that he is involved with us in one vast history of salvation, fills us with hope,” he said. It is a hope that “liberates us from the forces pushing us to isolation and lack of concern for the lives of others, for the life of our city.” What deserves our contemplation? In “The Joy of the Gospel,” his 2013 apostolic exhortation, Pope Francis said that other people, the poor in particular, are worthy of contemplation. “True love,” he said, “is always contemplative,” and it “permits us to serve the other not out of necessity or vanity, but rather because he or she is beautiful above and beyond mere appearances” (No. 199). Also worthy of contemplation is Jesus’ way of relating to people, the pope indicated when he exclaimed: “How good it is for us to contemplate the closeness that [Jesus] shows to everyone! If he speaks to someone, he looks into their eyes with deep love and concern… We see how accessible he is” (No. 269). Moreover, the Gospel itself deserves contemplation. “The best incentive for sharing the Gospel comes from contemplating it with love, lingering over its pages and reading it with the heart,” according to the apostolic exhortation. Approached in this way, the Gospel “will amaze and constantly excite us,” said the pope. But for this to happen, he stressed, “we need to recover a contemplative spirit that can help us to realize ever anew that we have been entrusted with a treasure that makes us more human and helps us to lead a new life” (No. 264). Contemplation for Christians is prayerful. It may consume hours or only minutes of time. Quiet time and time alone are beneficial for contemplation. They create a helpful atmosphere for concentrating on the surprising ways God is at work in one’s own life or in the life of someone else — someone who perhaps is difficult or seems lost. Still, the company of others can aid contemplation. It is typical in retreat groups, for example, that people support each other in identifying God’s presence in ordinary life. What people in such a setting often share is an underlying suspicion that God is present where he might least be expected, present in wonderful ways that nonetheless challenge our understanding.