Carthusian spirituality for today

Those of us living "in the world" can benefit from a relatively new series of spiritual writings generated in remote cloisters.  The Carthusian Novice Conference Series, published by Cistercian (sic) Studies, provides in its several volumes unique access to the contemporary spirituality of those men and women who (as T. Merton said) "have gone the furthest, climbed the highest."  Particularly at a time when many are wondering where God is in this creation of His, the Carthusian theology of God's presence and of how we discern it seems particularly ripe for study and reflection.  It's not for everyone, I suspect -- but many of us can be grateful that the Carthusians are sharing with us, in an unprecedented way, what they learn about a world they take all their time to listen to and to pray about and for.  There is reassurance in the motto of these persevering pilgrims:  "Stat crux dum volvitur orbis."