Flowers Along the Way

A Graceful Humanness

Dec 5, 2013

Saying For Today: The truly spiritual person is the image of what could be called a divine humanness ~ he or she is the Sanctuary of Godness.

Arem, a vowed Contemplative of Greenbough House of Prayer, offers an interspiritual work focusing on cultivating the Heart of Compassion. He integrates wisdom from the major spiritual Paths. To contact Arem, see the email address at the conclusion of this presentation. May you always know you are blessed!

For me to become more spiritual is to become more human and to become more human is to become more spiritual. In Grace, Spirit and Matter meet in a holy Marriage, resolving the conflict between humanness and divineness. For a spiritual path is not to a moral perfection, but a way of becoming more authentically human. The truly spiritual person is the image of what could be called a divine humanness ~ he or she is the Sanctuary of Godness. He or she is not less human than others, but more human and, therefore, his or her dissimilarity is a contrast to encourage others to a union of Spirit and Matter, form and formlessness, in the Mystery of the embodiment of Grace. The Word, by nature, is always becoming flesh in the person who says "Yes" to Love. Every holy man or woman is that image of the Word, and he or she may or may not be devoted to religion.

*Arem Nahariim-Samadhi

A water bearer in India had two large pots. Each hung on opposite ends of a pole carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack. While the uncracked pot always gave a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For two years this went on daily.

The uncracked pot was proud of its accomplishments. The cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what seemed failure, the cracked pot spoke to the water bearer by the stream. "I'm ashamed of myself, and I apologize to you." "Why?" inquired the water bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I've been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way to your master's house," spoke the pot. The water bearer felt sad for the cracked pot. He said, "As we return to the master's house, notice the flowers along the way."

As they went up the hill, the cracked pot noticed the beautiful flowers on the side of the path. This cheered it some. But at the end of the path, it still felt sad, for it had leaked out half the water. Again, the pot apologized for the failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the way? I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side, and every day while we walked from the stream, you watered them. For two years I have been able to pick beautiful flowers for my master's table. Without your being the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Often, our weaknesses prove to be blessed opportunities. Indeed, Grace delights to use weakness to manifest Sacredness. Recall the encouraging words of Paul, an early Christian teacher, about his experience of weakness:

8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

*II Corinthians 12.8-10, NLT

St. Francis of Assisi (c. 1181-1226) was hoeing his garden, when someone asked what he would do if he were suddenly to learn that he would die before sunset. He replied, "I would finish hoeing my garden."