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Primitive religion is not believed, it is danced!

Arthur Darby Nock

Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
And only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

Elizabeth Browning



Sunday, January 17, 2016

In our Heart Space


Many have described prayer as bringing your thinking down into your heart. Next time a resentment, negativity, or irritation comes into your mind, and you are tempted to play it out or attach to it, instead move that thought or person into your heart space--literally. There, surround this negativity with silence (which is much easier to do in the heart) and your pumping blood (which will often feel warm like coals). In this place, it is almost impossible to comment, judge, create story lines, or remain antagonistic. You are in a place that does not create or feed on contraries but is the natural organ of life, embodiment, and love. Love lives and thrives in the heart space.

This practice has kept me from wanting to hurt people who have hurt me. It keeps me from obsessive, repetitive, or compulsive head games. It can make the difference between being happy and being miserable and negative.

Could this be what we are really doing when we pray for someone? Yes, we are holding them in our heart space.
                                                                                                                   Richard Rohr
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Who do I need to hold in my heart Lord?
Who do I need to surround with the warm rhythm of love

I have a long list
of people I resent
and toward whom I feel anger

politicians
home made militia men and women
haters
judgers
abusers
people who hoard resources, and let the vulnerable die

I could go on an on
(and on and on and on)

People there are those people I would comfort
who face the world at its worst
whose bodies are failing
whose heart are weak
whose lives are chaos
whose minds just don’t work, quit right

who are lost and lonely, and afraid

But perhaps Lord
the first person I need to hold in my heart space
is me

perhaps I need to be at peace with this
hater, judger
this flawed but beautiful person
this person, in pain

perhaps I need to enlarge this heart
and let love thrive
here
and surround me

so that I might then hold others
in a warm embrace

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