That day I saw beneath dark clouds
the passing light over the water
and I heard the voice of the world speak out,
I knew then, as I had before
life is no passing memory of what has been
nor the remaining pages in a great book
waiting to be read. Continue reading “The Opening of Eyes …”
What does the Bible say about helping refugees, migrants and foreigners? In this video, James Martin, S.J., explains the Biblical basis for welcoming the stranger.
Continue reading “What Does The Bible Say About Welcoming Refugees And Migrants …”
Song: Emmanuel
Album: God He Reigns (Hillsong Worship)
A Prayer for Christmas
God, give us eyes this Christmas
to see the Christmas star,
And give us ears to hear the song
of angels from afar …
And with our eyes and ears attuned
for a message from above,
Let Christmas angels speak to us
of hope and faith and love —
Hope to light our pathway
when the way ahead is dark,
Hope to sing through stormy days
with the sweetness of a lark,
Faith to trust in things unseen
and know beyond all seeing
That it is in our Father’s love
we live and have our being,
And love to break down barriers
of color, race, and creed,
Love to see and understand
and help all those in need.
— Helen Steiner Rice from The Poems and Prayers of Helen Steiner Rice
Perhaps it does not begin.
Perhaps it is always.
Perhaps it takes
a lifetime
to open our eyes,
to learn to see
what has forever
shimmered in front of us— Continue reading “Advent Day 29: Christmas Day – Where the Light Begins …”
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong UNITED
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand Continue reading “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) …”
Later that night
I held an Atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered:
Where does it hurt?It answered:
Everywhere
Everywhere
Everywhere.
— Warsan Shire
Prayers offered in times of peace are silent conversations,
Appeals for love or loves release, in private invocations.
But all that is changed now,
Gone like a memory from the day before the fires.
People hungry for the voice of God
Hear lunatics and liars Continue reading “Where Does It Hurt: A Wartime Prayer …”
Kindle ebook is $3.99 on Amazon.com for a limited time.
Seven Thousand Ways to Listen: Staying Close to What Is Sacred (Kindle Edition) by Mark Nepo
And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.
— Raymond Carver from A New Path to the Waterfall
Vulnerability is not a weakness, a passing indisposition, or something we can arrange to do without, vulnerability is not a choice , vulnerability is the underlying, ever present and abiding under-current of our natural state. To run from vulnerability is to run from the essence of our nature, the attempt to be invulnerable is the vain attempt to be something we are not and most especially, to close off our understanding of the grief of others. More seriously, refusing our vulnerability we refuse the help needed at every turn of our existence and immobilize the essential, tidal and conversational foundations of our identity. Continue reading “Vulnerability Is Not Weakness …”
