It is my joy to bring you joy. And when I bring others joy, I feel your joy, and I am warmed.
Give to me that I might give to them. Love me that I might love them. Heal me that I might heal them. Teach me that I might teach them.
You are my only, my divine, my immortal moment. You are melody in sound, a breath in the silence, the core of each verse. You sing to me and I sing to you; we sing for each other.
Dear God, I pray to be your divine melody, to learn and to sustain it. I pray to be the fullness of each note, the silence of each rest, the crescendo and finale. Dear God, I pray to be the voice of your voice, the will of your will, the heart of your heart and a vessel of your unconquerable love. Dear Lord, anoint me. Bring me your burdens in rain, sun, and storm. Give me the brightest lamp, the longest road, the hardest path and the highest peak; give me the heaviest heart that the world might be lighter. Show me your strength, and dear God, give me your courage that I might cry out against the sickness that has poisoned our people, the worm that has rotted the fruit of your trees. Dear God, make me a falcon that I might fly towards daybreak and skim the skies, lifted by your endless wind.
I shall move fast for your pace is upon me, and I know that you drive me as surely as daybreak, you lead me as the Sun across the sky.
Forgive me for posting so many quotes, but everything you write so often parallels something I've read in Holy Writings:
ReplyDelete"The Great Being saith: The Tongue of Wisdom proclaimeth: He that hath Me not is bereft of all things. Turn ye away from all that is on earth and seek none else but Me. I am the Sun of Wisdom and the Ocean of Knowledge. I cheer the faint and revive the dead. I am the guiding Light that illumineth the way. I am the royal Falcon on the arm of the Almighty. I unfold the drooping wings of every broken bird and start it on its flight."
I enjoy reading the bits of the Holy Writings you share. The parallels very often surprise me, but in a good way, because anyone who walks with God is bound to say almost the same thing. :)
ReplyDelete"I unfold the drooping wings of every broken bird and start it on its flight."
Beautiful imagery. :) I think that the image of birds, flying, the Sun, etc. is pretty common when describing the Spirit. I said something about "faith as a tower" on my poetry blog, and apparently Theresa of Avila wrote something similar. There's always someone who's said it before, I guess. :)
"This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future."
ReplyDelete"The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves. That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion. These principles and laws, these firmly-established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated.
Gird up the loins of your endeavor, O people of Bahá, that haply the tumult of religious dissension and strife that agitateth the peoples of the earth may be stilled, that every trace of it may be completely obliterated. For the love of God, and them that serve Him, arise to aid this most sublime and momentous Revelation. Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench. The Hand of Divine power can, alone, deliver mankind from this desolating affliction….
The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Day Star of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. The one true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words.
Exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent and most sublime station, the station that can ensure the protection and security of all mankind. This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations. So long, however, as the thick clouds of oppression, which obscure the day star of justice, remain undispelled, it would be difficult for the glory of this station to be unveiled to men’s eyes….
Consort with all men, O people of Bahá, in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost kindliness and good-will. If it be accepted, if it fulfil its purpose, your object is attained. If any one should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech God to guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly with him. A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding…."
Theresa: This is a very powerful prayer; it comes from the heart, the spirit.
ReplyDeleteFalse Christians have God in the heads, true Christians have God in their hearts. When a false Christian prays, his prayer is very wooden. When a true Christian prays, his prayer has passion and life and life in abundance.
"My heart, you were dovewinged, I can tell, carrier-witted, I am bold to boast. To flash from the flame to the flame then, tower from the grace to the grace."
--Gerard Manley Hopkins
Thank you, Tim! It definitely comes from the heart. :)
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of Gerard Manley Hopkins when I wrote this. :) Great inspiration.