Welcome

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



Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Compassion is hard

“Let us not underestimate how hard it is to be compassionate. Compassion is hard because it requires the inner disposition to go with others to place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely, and broken.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen
_______________________________________

that face haunts me
etched with pain
dried and wrinkled
from too much booze
and too many nights on the streets

that face haunts me
angry and entrenched
with eyes that burn

that face haunts me
confused and afraid
eyes darting
seeking a love no longer here

we see the faces
and hear the words of pain and anguish

it is palpable
that pain
written in their bodies

and we so do not want to go there
into that place
into that pain or anguish

we do not want to join
our brother or sister there

yet we cannot heal from affair
we can not transform
without touch

compassion is hard

Monday, March 30, 2015

Open Hands

"There is an old proverb that says we are born with our hands clenched to hold onto the gifts we are given by God. As we grow we unfold our hands to share our gifts with others. Our wish for our kids is for them to unfold their hands throughout their lives to release their gifts. Live with your hands unfolded people." NPR interview on StoryCore
____________________________________________

the young man stands in anger
with hands clenched

the young woman stands in fear
with hands clenched

the religious person looks at another
with the eyes of judgement
and with hands clenched

so many people with closed hands
with hands that cannot comfort
that cannot touch, caresss
or give

only with open hands
can we release our love
our compassion
our forgiveness

only with open hands can we receive
love and compassion
and forgiveness

it seems so simple
but
oh!

how often we forget

O Sacred one… help me walk through life
with open hands

an open heart
would not
hurt
either

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Inerrantly Valuable

“Part of my soul goes into each quote I write. A book of my quotes can be yours for just $19.99.”
― Ryan Lilly
________________________________

why do we allow our selves
our gifts
our talents
our love

to become a commodity
bought and sold
to the highest bidder?

perhaps our love of wealth and power
the great two adversaries
of Jesus
has permeated all the way down to our souls!

how can we forget
that we participate in the Sacred
that even here

as we slog through the deep muck
of this existence

inherently valuable
inerrantly valuable
children of the Sacred?