Dour Servants of God, Loosen up!

What is the difference

Between your experience of Existence

And that of a saint?

The saint knows

That the spiritual path

Is a sublime chess game with God

And that the Beloved

Has just made such a Fantastic Move

That the saint is now continually

Tripping over Joy

And bursting out in Laughter

And saying, “I Surrender!”

Whereas, my dear,

I am afraid you still think

You have a thousand serious moves.”

                             Hāfez, I Heard God Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy

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loosen up

O

dour servants of God

the frozen chosen

those whose heads are full of rules

and rights and wrongs

busy sorting and judging

those who see a “war” on their faith

everywhere they look

and are convinced

that without them God will not survive

there are no moves left

that need to be made

the Dancing God

is joyfully present

in babies and carpenters

in saints and sinners

in you and I

pulling us into the vortex of

swirling love

irresistible and irrational

grace full

dragging us into joy

so that

we are too busy

laughing

to take ourselves seriously

anymore