As I gaze on the icon of Mother and child, I realize that despite the enormous difficulty the world has always been in, Christ as a child was content to be in the world in the arms of one woman, his mother.
God’s action in the world is sufficient while operating in the limited dimensions of one individual, here shown contented in the arms of his mother.
Paul Quenon, Matter of the Heart, A Monk’s Journal, – a lovely profound book of reflections.
As I grew up, I experimented with many traditional religious patterns. I soon discovered that, too often, form only has been preserved at the expense of content. Many “religious” people, as a result, are more interested in romantic projection and fulfilment of stereotypes than in learning the difficult self-forgetfulness of the exchange of Love with the Other.
They use religion to make themselves feel good, and call it the search for God. They invest all their energy to create a fantasy world where they will not experience any pain.
Maggie Ross, Seasons of Death and Life: A Wilderness Memoir
Do not worry if all the candles in the world flicker and die
we have the spark that starts the fire.
Rumi
In the still heart
that refuses nothing,
the world is twice born.
Jane Hirshfield
Before the universe was born.
there was something formless and perfect
It is serene. Empty.
Solitary. Unchanging.
Infinite. Eternally present.
It is the mother of the ten thousand things.
For lack of a better name,
I call it the Tao.
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, 25
Those who are willing to be vulnerable
move among mysteries
Theodore Roethke, American Poet, Straw for the Fire
Mindfulbalance 