We want to begin this reflection with two quotations: the first is from Matthew Fox in his book Creation Spirituality, "Beauty, and our role in co-creating it, lie at the heart of the spiritual journey"... And secondly, "What does God do all day long? He/She gives birth." (Meister Eckhart). These two quotes could be considered the book-ends to all that is written in these pages... Surprise! But we are each and all invited to a spectacular possibility: to truly activate our lives as an exploration into deep purpose...
Too be sure, most of us are aware -- to one degree or another -- of who we are: but how many of us are at all aware of who we could become? There is a Sufi tradition that has wondered if it might be true that the Holy One initiated Being and Creation in order to discover Who She Is: through us... We are at our very best when we mirror back to the Holy One all the beauty, wonder, compassion, and graciousness that we have received: this one essential mutuality is what we have named "Love"... Being "in Love" is the condition of revealing the Holy One to all the world: and then back again to the One...
The picture at the top of this blog posting is a sort of visual scripture: two volunteers are on each side of two formerly homeless volunteers who were cooking the meal of the day in the Soup Kitchen: there were many people -- usually led by Board members -- who would question our sanity because of our desire to include people "like" Eleanor and Jose in our vision of community. But we had found that we were "lovertarians": the more that we loved -- without expecting or requiring anything in return -- the more likely that folks would "self-heal". Or, as in the words of Lao-Tzu, "By doing nothing everything gets done"... This "doing nothing" is a great wisdom teaching: by the simple, very simple, act of "only loving", Eleanor and Jose (and countless others) were able to begin the discovery of their self-worth: now someone who has had only the experience of life as comfort, would always look in dismay at the working-chaos of our Kitchen Love (and oftentimes demand that the homeless be fired): but we had already discovered that it was by loving that we were somehow "made okay" ourselves! In the mutuality of Love, there was revelation... everyday... (Eleanor's Page will be posted again for you to take a look at)...
There is nothing else like created a little haven (heaven?) for folks who previously had only known life as a raping, a humiliation, and a failure: the Beauty of This made dealing with a Board of Directors, endless fundraising, public speaking, personal breaking, community failures, and all else that goes into organizing, not just endurable, but a steady stream of blessing... When someone has $25,000 to give, that is something really special: but when someone has Nothing to give but their broken heart: now That is Seeing Directly into the Face of the Holy One... That Seeing is a form of Divine Birthing: we become mid-wives to the Divine giving birth to Herself within all creation: and most especially within the very brokenness of all those persons for whom to live has meant only to suffer...
Are you attracted to a life of contemplative prayer and social action for Love and Justice? That very same attraction began in us as the tiniest of sparks: only Mystery kept that spark alive (and only Mystery continues to inspire us today)... It is our hope that you might decide to commit and to act: Dorothy Day used to say that "Beginnings are always exciting": may YOU surrender your heart to an activated pursuit of all of your Divine Possibilities! It really is an exciting way to live! And one more thing, you will be guaranteed to meet your version of Eleanor and Jose: if you can, please remember tell them that we love them too...
Too be sure, most of us are aware -- to one degree or another -- of who we are: but how many of us are at all aware of who we could become? There is a Sufi tradition that has wondered if it might be true that the Holy One initiated Being and Creation in order to discover Who She Is: through us... We are at our very best when we mirror back to the Holy One all the beauty, wonder, compassion, and graciousness that we have received: this one essential mutuality is what we have named "Love"... Being "in Love" is the condition of revealing the Holy One to all the world: and then back again to the One...
The picture at the top of this blog posting is a sort of visual scripture: two volunteers are on each side of two formerly homeless volunteers who were cooking the meal of the day in the Soup Kitchen: there were many people -- usually led by Board members -- who would question our sanity because of our desire to include people "like" Eleanor and Jose in our vision of community. But we had found that we were "lovertarians": the more that we loved -- without expecting or requiring anything in return -- the more likely that folks would "self-heal". Or, as in the words of Lao-Tzu, "By doing nothing everything gets done"... This "doing nothing" is a great wisdom teaching: by the simple, very simple, act of "only loving", Eleanor and Jose (and countless others) were able to begin the discovery of their self-worth: now someone who has had only the experience of life as comfort, would always look in dismay at the working-chaos of our Kitchen Love (and oftentimes demand that the homeless be fired): but we had already discovered that it was by loving that we were somehow "made okay" ourselves! In the mutuality of Love, there was revelation... everyday... (Eleanor's Page will be posted again for you to take a look at)...
There is nothing else like created a little haven (heaven?) for folks who previously had only known life as a raping, a humiliation, and a failure: the Beauty of This made dealing with a Board of Directors, endless fundraising, public speaking, personal breaking, community failures, and all else that goes into organizing, not just endurable, but a steady stream of blessing... When someone has $25,000 to give, that is something really special: but when someone has Nothing to give but their broken heart: now That is Seeing Directly into the Face of the Holy One... That Seeing is a form of Divine Birthing: we become mid-wives to the Divine giving birth to Herself within all creation: and most especially within the very brokenness of all those persons for whom to live has meant only to suffer...
Are you attracted to a life of contemplative prayer and social action for Love and Justice? That very same attraction began in us as the tiniest of sparks: only Mystery kept that spark alive (and only Mystery continues to inspire us today)... It is our hope that you might decide to commit and to act: Dorothy Day used to say that "Beginnings are always exciting": may YOU surrender your heart to an activated pursuit of all of your Divine Possibilities! It really is an exciting way to live! And one more thing, you will be guaranteed to meet your version of Eleanor and Jose: if you can, please remember tell them that we love them too...
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