|
Wisdom Words
Said a traveler
to one of
the disciples,
"I have traveled
a great distance
to listen
to the Master,
but I find
his words
quite ordinary."
"Don't listen
to his words.
Listen
to his message."
"How does
one do that?"
"Take hold
of a sentence
that he says.
Shake it well
till all the words
drop off.
What is left
will set
your heart
on fire."
*Anthony de Mello
Comments
The English meaning is akin to an Old Irish word "to wish, desire."
At the root of all creatures is a wish, a desire. This wishing, or desiring, flows from God wishing, God desiring, within Godself and for us and the blessing of all creatures.
In all creatures is a lively, fluid, and gracious intent waiting to be discovered by you. To find that desire is to find God, to hear God, to respond to God: to discover the meaning of Life.
The God we love and serve is not a coldly distant being, removed from the emotions of human persons. God, the passionate fount of desire, fills creation with desire, with longing, with wishing; and these qualities have personality and emotion. God is personal and a feeling God.
We need silence without, sometimes, and to carry silence within, always, like a portable sanctuary, to be able to live in communion with Desire. If I do not set aside time for solitude and silence, I will likely miss touching the hidden meaning in the world around me.
Once you find deep solitude and calm, there will be a great gladness in your heart. Here finally is the place where you need neither defense nor offense-the place where you can truly be open. There will be bliss, wonder, the awe of attaining something pure and sacred.
After that, you will feel adoration of silence. This is the peace that seems to elude so many. This is the beauty of Tao [The Way].
*Deng Ming-Dao. 365 Tao. "Silence" 261.
Spend some time today in solitude and silence. Reflect on the deep longings and wishes of your heart. Pray to God as One who feels with you, longs with you, and desires to enjoy the very things you desire to enjoy.
For submission of replies, see below:
*Poem by Anthony de Mello is at www.elsajoy.com .
*Brian K. Wilcox is Pastor of Christ Community United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, FL. He is a vowed member of Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community. His passion is living a contemplative life and inspiring others to experience a deeper relationship with Christ through contemplative prayer and living.
|
