Our Beginnings

Our fourth and final woman mystic, Mechthild of Magdeburg, had a special passion for the poor, and worked among them with a community she founded for many years. She was not well treated by local church authorities, who were suspicious of her activities as a woman leader, and her mystical views as well.

I chose this reading it expresses the experience of God's Love so eloquently, an experience which is shared, though expressed differently, by so many mystics of the world's religions.

You speak to me of my beginnings?

I will tell you.

I was created in Love.

For that reason, nothing can express my beauty, nor liberate my nobleness,

except Love alone.

From the very beginning, God loved us.

The Holy Trinity gave itself in the creation of all things,

and made us, body and soul, in infinite Love.

We were fashioned most nobly.

God takes such delight in the human person

that Divinity sings this song to our soul:

"O love rose on the thorn!

O hovering bee in the honey!

O pure dove in your being!

O glorious sun in your setting!

O full moon in your course!

From you, I, your God, will never turn away."

The Holy Spirit flows through us with the marvelous Creative Power of everlasting joy!

As love grows and expands in the soul, it rises eagerly to God

and overflows towards the Glory which bends towards it.

Then love melts through the soul into the senses,

so that the body too might share in it,

for Love is drawn into all things.

Again, I offer a prayer by Mechthild in place of my words.

"I cannot dance, O God, unless You lead me.

If You will that I leap joyfully,

then You must be the first to dance and to sing.

Then, and only then, will I leap for love.

Then will I soar from love to knowledge,

from knowledge to fruition,

from fruition to beyond all human sense.

And there I will remain and circe forevermore."

The Divine Musician

Hildegard of Bingen loved music, as do I. I am sure many of you do too.

Besides being a fine composer and singer, she was also the founder and head of a Benedictine monastery, counsellor to bishops and popes, an artist, a writer, a healer, and above all, a lover of God. She is considered one of the Rhineland mystics, and she has been rediscovered during the past few decades, due to the dedication of such fine spiritual writers as Matthew Fox, whose books I recommend to you. It was really hard for me to choose just one reading from among the many I would have liked to share with you, but I finally settled on three short readings which have musical imagery in common, revealing how much music was a part of her spirituality.

Here are her noteworthy words, for your enjoyment.

The soul is kissed by God in its innermost regions.

With interior yearning, grace and blessing are bestowed.

It is a yearning to take on God's gentle yoke,

and a yearning to give one's self to God's Way.

The marvels of God are not brought forth from one's self.

Rather, it is more like a chord, a sound that is played.

The tone does not come out of the chord itself, but rather,

through the touch of the Musician.

I am, of course, the lyre and harp of God's kindness.

* * * * * * * * *

Without the Word of God, no creature has being.

God's Word is in all creation, visible and invisible.

The Word is living, being, spirit, all verdant greening, all creativity.

All creation is awakened, called, by the resounding melody,

God's invocation of the Word.

The Word is manifest in every creature.

Now this is how the spirit is in the flesh--

the Word is indivisible from God.

Who are the prophets?

They are a royal people, who penetrate mystery and see with the Spirit's eyes.

In illuminating darkness they speak out.

They are living, penetrating clarity.

They are a blossom blooming only on the shot that is rooted in the flood of light.

* * * * * * * * *

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is a Burning Spirit, Who kindles the hearts of humankind,

playing them like tympany and lyre,

gathering volume in the temple of the soul.

The Holy Spirit is Life-giving life, all movement, root of all being,

purifier of all impurity, absolver of all faults, balm of all wounds,

radiant life, worthy of all praise.

The Holy Spirit resurrects and awakens everything that is.

Do not be lax in celebrating!

Be not lazy in the festive service of God.

Be ablaze with enthusiasm.

Let us be a live, burning offering before the altar of God.

Rather than writing a prayer of my own, I offer you one of Hildegard's beautiful prayers to nourish your soul.

"Holy Spirit, through You clouds billow, breezes blow, stones drip with trickling streams,

streams that are the source of earth's lush greening.

Likewise, You are the source of human understanding.

You bless with the Breath of Wisdom.

Thus all of our praise is Yours,

You who are the melody itself of praise, the joy of life, the mighty honor,

the hope of those to whom You give the gifts of the Light.

Limitless Love, from the depth to the stars

flooding all, loving all, it is the royal kiss of peace.

The Path of Self-Knowledge

Today the great mystic and church reformer, St. Theresa of Avila, addresses us with wise words about walking a path of truth, which is also the path of self-knowledge.

God is everlasting Truth.

I am reminded of how Pilate, when questioning our Lord, asked "What is truth?"

How little we understand about the Supreme Truth!

Let us conclude that in order to live in conformity with our God,

it will be well if we always study diligently how to walk in the Truth.

Especially, there should be no desire that others consider us better than we are.

And in our works we should attribute to God what is God's

and to ourselves what is ours, and strive to draw out the Truth in everything.

Once I was pondering why our Lord was so fond of this virtue of humility

and this thought came to me, not as a result of reflection, but suddenly.

It is because God is supreme Truth; and to be humble is to walk in the Truth.

For it is a very deep truth that apart from God we have nothing good

but only emptiness and nothingness.

Whoever does not understand this walks in falsehood.

The more anyone understands it, the this pleases the supreme Truth

because the person is walking in truth.

Please God, we will be granted the favor never to leave this path of self-knowledge.

People will tell you that you do not need friends on this journey, that God is enough.

But to be with God's friends is a good way to keep close to God in this life.

You will always draw great benefit from them.

This is to love in truth:

Bear with a fault and do not be astonished.

Relieve others of their labor and take upon yourselves tasks to be done.

Be cheerful when others have need of it.

Be grateful for you strength when others have need of it.

Show tenderness in love and sympathize with the weakness of others.

Friends of God love others with a true, ardent, and helpful love.

My prayer of response:

God of Truth, how true it is that I am dependent upon You in every way for everything,

including walking on the path of self-knowledge.

You know me far better than I know myself. You know others far better than I do.

Give me your perspective and wisdom so that I may know myself as I really am,

and others for who they really are,

and love both them and myself as You do.

Amen.

All Will be Well

In the next four readings, we move forward several centuries and draw from the wonderful wisdom of four women mystics from England and Europe: Lady Julian of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, Theresa of Avila,

and Mechtild of Magdeburg. They all lived in the period some call the Middle Ages, and they bring to us the perspective and experience of women who are also mystics, like Meera of the Hindu tradition, and Rabia of the Sufi tradition. I think it is important to listen to the voices of women, though those that have survived in writing in all the world's historical Wisdom Traditions are in the minority.

The reading for today is by Lady Julian, who lived in Norwich, England and became famous as an anchorite, living enclosed in a room in the local cathedral, where she gave herself to prayer and contemplation, and sat often at her window to talk to the great number of people who came to her for wisdom and consolation.

Here are her words for us too.

"That which is impossible for you is not impossible to Me.

I will preserve My Word in all things and I will make all things well."

Our faith is grounded in God's Word and we must let this trust be.

How God will do this we will no know until it is done,

because God wants us to be at ease and at peace,

not troubled or kept from enjoying God.

The fulness of joy is to behold God in everything.

God is the ground, the substance, the teaching, the teacher, the purpose,

and the reward for which every soul labors.

My own failures will not hinder the workings of God's goodness.

As long as we are in this life and find ourselves foolishly dwelling on what is wrong,

our God tenderly touches us and joyfully calls us, saying

"Let all your love be, my child.

Turn to Me. I am everything you need.

Enjoy Me and your liberation."

True thanking is to enjoy God.

Thanking is a true understanding of who we really are.

With reverence and awe we turn ourselves around

towards the working that our good God incites us to do,

enjoying and thanking with our real selves.

God does not want us to be burdened because of sorrows and tempests

that happen in our lives,

because it has always been so before miracles happen.

Let us remember that God is everything good,

and the goodness that everything possesses is God.

God wants us to allow ourselves to see God continually.

For God wants to be seen and wants to be sought,

awaited, and trusted.

My prayer of response:

If the fulness of joy is to see You, Good God, in everything, then open my eyes to behold You

not just in what is beautiful and seems good, but also in those people and situations which trouble me.

And help me remember that whenever I do see beauty, it is your face, and goodness too.

I thank You with all my heart for the ability to enjoy You in this and many other ways.

I thank You that I am truly your beloved, your child, your image.

I thank You for inciting me to work for goodness' sake,

and to remember, when things are difficult, that nothing is impossible to You,

and that I can trust that Your promise is true that all will be well.

Amen.

What Do You Desire?

Desire in and of itself is neither good nor bad.

It depends what we desire, and what we will do to fulfill our desires.

Though much ancient wisdom warns against desire, it is always selfish desire, or craving that is meant.

But to have noble desires shape our lives and guide our steps, like the desires voiced in the reading for today, is to travel a high and holy path which leads to a place, or consciousness, of beauty, peace, and joy.

The author of these words is Eusebius of Caesarea, who was born in the third century A.D.

We would do well to adopt his desires as our own!

May I be an enemy to no one and the friend of what abides eternally.

May I never quarrel with those nearest me,

and be reconciled quickly if I should.

May I never plot against others, and if anyone plots against me

may I escape unharmed and without the need to hurt anyone else.

May I love, seek, and attain only what is good.

May I desire happiness for all, and harbor envy for none.

May I never find joy in the misfortune of one who has wronged me.

May I never wait for the rebuke of others,

but be willing to rebuke myself until I make reparation.

My I gain no victory that harms me or my opponent.

May I reconcile friends who are angry with each other.

May I, insofar as I can, give all necessary help to my friends

and to all who are in need.

May I never fail a friend in trouble.

When visiting the grief-stricken,

may I be able to soften their pain with comforting words.

May I respect myself.

May I always maintain control of my passions.

May I habituate myself to be gentle,

and never be angry with others because of circumstances.

May I never discuss the wicked or what they have done,

but know good people, and follow in their footsteps.

My reflections:

These noble prayer-intentions by Eusebius are a guide I would like to follow.

In their light, I realize that my desires often leave a lot to be desired, as the saying goes!

I take comfort in believing that even though I may have failed to desire so wisely and well as Eusebius,

let alone actually accomplished those desires in my life, it is never too late to adopt desires like these,

and I can have the faith and the hope that I will be able to live up to them, by the Amazing Grace of God.

Silence, language, and God

This beautiful picture of the famous St. Basil's church in Moscow is in honor of St. Basil of Caesarea, who lived in the 4th century A.D. and was one of the founders of monasticism in Christianity.

His teachings are treasured especially in the Eastern Orthodox churches, and today's readings are taken from his writings.

In the first reading, Basil gives us valuable instruction in the art of contemplating God. People back then seemed to have the same trouble we have quieting our minds and learning to commune with God in all the comings and goings of life.

Here are his wise words on how to do this.

You must strive for a quiet mind.

If your eyes are perpetually restless, they cannot appreciate a beautiful object set before them;

they glance this way and that, and so fail to discern the subtlety of the object's form and color.

Equally, if the mind is perpetually restless, distracted by a thousand worldly concerns,

it cannot apprehend the truth.

You cannot write on a wax tablet without first erasing the marks already on it.

Equally your mind cannot receive divine truth without first unlearning

the false notions and prejudices that you have acquired in the past.

Solitude is the best context for quieting the mind and unlearning falsehood.

Seek out a place of solitude, where you can train your soul without interruption,

nourishing your soul with thoughts of God.

Begin each day like a choir of angels, honoring God with songs of praise.

As the day brightens, pursue your various tasks to the accompaniment of prayers,

and season your labor with the salt of still more songs.

A pleasant melody composes the mind and calms the passions.

Gradually, your tongue will lose its appetite for idle conversation,

your eyes will cease to crave constant stimulation,

and your ears will not longer hunger for gossip.

This will enable your mind to turn inwards and begin its contemplation of God.

Having spoken of silence and contemplation, Basil has wisdom, borne of holy silence, about the limitations of language, especially when it comes to speaking of God.

The nature and majesty of God can neither be defined by human language

nor comprehended by human intellect.

It cannot be explained or grasped by formulae or concepts.

In speaking about God, we find ourselves compelled to use images and metaphors.

In order to see God face to face, we would have to first be made perfect in mind and soul.

But in our present state, we can only perceive God indirectly and partially,

as if we were seeing a reflection in a darkened mirror.

So let us cherish these perceptions with joy, while we wait patiently for perfection in time to come.

When we study our sacred texts,

we are made more and more aware of the partiality of our present knowledge,

and of our inability to pierce the mystery of God.

As we make progress in the spiritual life,

we become more and more aware of the distance we have yet to travel.

No single word or title is sufficient to signify the glorious nature of God.

One person uses the term 'God', but this does not denote his fatherly love for us.

Another person uses 'Father' but this does not denote God's creative power.

And what term can convey God's goodness, wisdom, and countless other attributes?

Indeed, all words and titles for God are no more than human inventions,

trying to relate God to some human experience.

My prayer of response:

Great Mystery, for Whom no Name is sufficient, may I fix my heart and mind on Your marvelous Presence when I awake, and when I sleep, and in all the hours between.

May songs of praise fill my heart as I live my life, so that communion with You may be the bedrock of my existence.

May I have the humility to realize how imperfect and incomplete any ideas of You may be that I harbor,

and may I be willing to sail on the sea of your Great Transcendent Mystery, content with experiencing You without having to explain or define You to myself or anyone else. Amen.

Walking the Talk

One of the great issues that has troubled followers of all the worlds religions, and people who follow none, is the all too common failure of people to "walk the talk." A friend once told me she thought Christians were their own worst enemies because so many of them seemed to be religious on Sunday and then the rest of the week failed to practice the teachings they said they believed. I think people of all faiths have that problem, and today's reading from the New Testament, from a letter by James, who may have been one of the twelve apostles and/or a brother of Jesus, addresses the importance of walking the talk in clear, strong language.

Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

For if you are a hearer of the Word and not a doer, it is like looking at yourself in a mirror,

and then going away and promptly forgetting what you looked like.

But if you persevere, being not a hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts,

you shall be blessed in your doing.

If you think you are religious, but do not bridle your tongue,

you deceive your self, and your religion is in vain.

Pure religion that is undefiled before God is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction,

and to keep yourself unstained by worldly values.

What does it profit you to say you have faith if you do not live it? Can your faith save you?

If someone needs food or clothes and you say, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things they need, what profit is that? Faith without works is dead.

Let not many of you become teachers, for you know that we who teach shall be held to a higher standard.

For we all make many mistakes.

If you make no mistake in what you say, you are a perfect person, able to bridle the whole body also.

If we put bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies.

Look at the ships also. Though they are so great and are driven by strong winds,

they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.

So the tongue is a little member, but boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire.

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed,

but no human being can tame the tongue, which is restless, and can be full of deadly poison.

With it we bless God, and curse people, who are made in the likeness of God.

From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. This ought not to be so.

Does a spring pour forth from the same opening fresh water and brackish?

Who is wise and understanding among you?

By your good life and works let your wisdom be shown.

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, there will be disorder and all kinds of vile practices.

The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without wavering or insincerity.

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

My prayer of response:

Good God! Help me to use my tongue to praise you and bring help, wisdom, and comfort to others. Keep me from using it to talk negatively about people, or to pontificate about my own opinions.

May a see where I am failing to walk the talk when I ponder Your Words, and correct myself accordingly.

Help me to live with integrity, doing my best every day to live the way I pray and act

in harmony with Your good will to all.

Grant me Your peaceable, pure, gentle, merciful, and reasonable Wisdom

so that I may be a peace maker, and reap the harvest of Your goodness. Amen.

Love is the Greatest

The word "Love" is used in so many ways to mean so many things, that it can become almost meaningless, or at least, confusing, to talk about loving someone or something.

In today's reading from Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth, we find an eloquent description of love in words that show what it looks like, and what loving comes to, in terms that are a clear and helpful way to discern whether what is being called love by someone else, or by us, is the "real thing." A great deal of what passes for human love is really idealizing another, or wanting something from another for ourselves. The kind of love described in these well known words, often read at weddings, is a love that can only blossom in the earth of Divine Love.

We love because and as God loves us. That is true love. And it is a gift, not something we earn. It is a gift of God to us, and a gift we pass on to others. God is Love, and so it is in God's nature to love. I believe it is also in our nature to love, and that when we are true to who we really are, we love as naturally as the rose blooms.

If I speak in the tongues of human being or of angels, but have not love,

I am just a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,

and if I have faith so as to remove mountains,

but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind.

Love is not jealous or boastful.

Love is not arrogant or rude.

Love does not insist on its own way.

Love is not irritable or resentful.

Love does not take pleasure in wrong, but in what is right.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

As for prophecies, they will pass away.

As for tongues, they will cease.

As for knowledge, it too will pass away.

For our knowledge is imperfect, and our prophecy is imperfect.

But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.

When I became an adult, I gave up childish ways.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.

Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.

So faith, hope, and love abide, these three.

But the greatest of these is love.

My reflections:

To me, it is clear that these words on love are in the context of a state of consciousness which Paul looks forward to as "when the perfect has come." And he emphasizes how important it is to love in the way he describes that love while we are still seeing as if through a mirror or glass, which in his times would not have been the kind of clear glass we now have. It is a good image for our incomplete knowledge and dim, distorted perspective compared to the full understanding and clarity of vision that will some day be ours.

It takes faith, hope, and love to live in a way that will bring us to that state of consciousness.

My prayer:

My love, God of love, is often so mixed in with lack of understanding and clarity, and I mistakenly value other things more than love. I forget that no matter how much knowledge I have, no matter how great my talents and gifts, or my faith, or my generosity, nothing is worthwhile without love. I open my heart more and more to Your love, knowing that it is in doing this that I will have true love to give to others. Amen

Being Blessed

People through the ages and all over the world find themselves in a huge variety of circumstances, many of which are very challenging. Is there any way one can find to live a blessed life, with a deep inner joy and peace, no matter what is going on in one's life and in the world?

There is a way, recommended by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, which Gandhi said was a guiding light to him, along with the Bhagavad Gita.

These words are simple yet profound, and one of the most quoted passages from the Christian New Testament. Quoting them is much easier than living them, but they have stood the test of centuries, and still invite us to find out for ourselves that life can indeed be blessed when lived in this way. And it is a way open to anyone in any circumstance.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Bessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand so it can give light to the whole house.Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to God.

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor but hate your enemy.' I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven, who makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume,and where thieves break through and steal.But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust consume,neither do thieves break in and steal.

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

No one can serve two masters; you cannot serve God and money.

Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall or or drink or put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

And which of you by being anxious can add even a little to your span of life?

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven,will God not much ore clothe you, oh you of little faith?

Do not be anxious saying "what shall we eat? what shall we drink? what shall we wear?"

God knows you need these things.

Seek first the kingdom of God, and God's righteousness, and all these things will be yours as well.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day.

Judge not, that you be not judged,. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

Why do you see the speck in the other person's eye but not notice the log in your own eye? Take the log out of your own eye, and you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.

Ask, and you will receive. Seek, and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you.

Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do so to them, for this is the law and the prophets.

(Excerpts from Matthew 5-7)

My prayer of response:

In place of my words, I choose the prayer Jesus gave his followers:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts (sins, trespasses) as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, amen.

This is the traditional form of the Lord's Prayer, and there are many other translations possible, but I chose the traditional one, just as I chose a traditional version of the Sermon on the Mount, because it is dearest to the hearts of millions of Christians. I do recommend exploring other translations in order to uncover the rich treasures of meaning in Jesus' words.

Duties of the Heart

In this last blog exploring and enjoying the Jewish Garden of Faith, I have chosen a reading written by Bahya ibn Paquda in Muslim Spain in the eleventh century. It is proof of the beauty and power that can result when great cultures meet in the hearts of people who are devoted to God. The author was a Jewish philosopher, but he modeled his writing on the works of Muslim mystics. In fact, the original was written in Arabic and translated into Hebrew. I think this is a wonderful example of the kind of interfaith connection that has enriched the world's religions for many centuries. In this century, more than any other, people of all faiths have the wisdom of other faiths easily available. Imagine the richness of the emerging global faith community as this happens!

Imagine, for that matter, the riches of beauty and truth that you can enjoy as easily as reading this blog!

Here are the inspiring words of this ancient Jewish sage whose heart was so open to others.

They are taken from a book I highly recommend: Eknath Easwaran's anthology of readings from world religions, entitled "God Makes the Rivers to Flow."

What is meant by whole-hearted devotion to God alone?

It means that in every act, public and private,

the aim and purpose should be purely for God's sake, to please God only,

without concern for winning the approval of other people.

How achieve wholehearted devotion to God alone?

In ten ways.

If these are firmly set in our heart and you make them the basis of your actions,

your devotion to God will be complete.

Then you will turn to no one else,

set your hope on nothing else,

and mold your will to none other that God's.

First is wholehearted acceptance that only God fills the universe.

Second, that God is the source of all reality and is endlessly good.

Third, that your goal is to work for God.

Fourth, that you should rely on God alone, and on no other beings.

Fifth, that you get no ultimate gain or loss from any beings but the Creator.

Sixth, that you should maintain evenness of mind, regardless of whether

people blame you or praise you.

Seventh, that you should not make a show of spiritual activities or knowledge

to impress other people.

Eighth, that you should not be caught up in personal gain when you are working for eternal life.

Ninth, that you should hold God in reverence and be humble.

Tenth, that you should use your mind to master your senses and use them with discrimination.

My prayer of response:

Source of unending good, Holy One of Blessing,

I offer You wholehearted devotion, seeking to live only for Your sake

and mold my will solely by Your will.

When I am tempted to put my trust in anything or anyone but You;

when I forget that You are my Source, and the Source of everything good in my life;

when I let myself be upset by blame, or inflated by praise;

when I am not humble;

come to my aid, and bring to my mind these ten ways of being devoted to You.

May I fill my mind with the Wisdom You offer through the sages,

so that I may embody that Wisdom in all of my life.

amen.

Having an Open Mind

It seems that narrow and closed minds have always been around, and seem to be found among followers of religion in every age and place. Unfortunately, they give religion a bad name by arrogantly claiming they alone know what is right and true, and by clinging to their opinions in a way that alienates others.

The words of the 10th century rabbi and sage named Saadya apply as clearly to people of our time as of his.

Today, one of the threats to peace is that posed by fundamentalists of all religions, who refuse to consider any viewpoint but their own.

The tendency to want to be right, of course, is one we all share. Saadya's words, therefore, are useful for us to consider, and reflect the broad mindedness and reasonableness of the best of the Jewish tradition.

Narrowness of mind is a source of spiritual and moral ignorance.

If your mind is narrow, you believe there are simple answers to every question,

which can be found rapidly and without effort.

You refuse to search widely, and become impatient.

If any question takes more than a few moments to answer, you become impatient.

As a result, your morality and spirituality is superficial, and therefore

cannot withstand difficult situations and tough challenges.

At some moment in the past you may have heard a particular spiritual or moral argument

which appealed to you, and to which you firmly attached yourself.

While this argument may have merit, it can only contain a fraction of the truth.

But in your attachment to it, you believe that it is sufficient.

This closes your mind to other arguments and views, which may contain other parts of the truth.

When you hear a view or an argument that is inconsistent with your existing beliefs,

you ridicule it and treat it with contempt, or ignore it.

You only accept views and arguments that strengthen your beliefs.

You say that your beliefs are held by many others, and this proves their worth.

But the truth is not determined by popularity.

Besides, it is unlikely that your existing beliefs are flawless.

If you sincerely wish to know the truth,

you must be open to views that are inconsistent with your own,

and grapple with contradictions.

You may have a perverse mind, which enjoys finding faults and flaws in the arguments of others,

but which pays no attention to the merits of those arguments.

If you wish to make spiritual and moral progress,

you should seek the merits in the arguments of others,

and use those arguments to reveal the flaws in your own beliefs.

My reflections:

I must admit that there are times in my life when I have been passionate enough about certain opinions

and beliefs to act as if they were flawless. Maybe you have too. It is good to be reminded that none of us has, at any given time, more than a fraction of the truth, and that there is much we can learn from opinions different than our own, even if they seem to contradict our cherished ideas.

Think of how much more helpful and civilized our discourse would be, especially in the media, if this Jewish sages advice were taken to heart!

Never Forgotten

One of the things most precious to us is that we be remembered with love, especially by those we love and esteem.

Another is that we have reason to hope, when times are tough for us, that something better awaits us.

Both of these needs of the human heart are met by the beautiful words of comfort and promise from the Jewish Garden of Faith that are our reading for today. They are found in the book of the great prophet Isaiah.

If you and I take them to heart, we will experience a real sense of the loving care and presence of our Creator, whose plans for us all, and for the earth, are for the greatest good we can imagine, and more. These prophetic words give us rich promises to feed our imaginations and our hopes.

This is what God says:

In due time I shall come to save you.

I shall hear your cries for help, and rescue you.

I shall guard and protect you.

I shall make a covenant through you with all nations and peoples.

I shall say to prisoners: "Go free!"

I shall say to those in darkness: "Come into the Light!"

You will be led by One who loves you, and I will lead you to springs of living water.

I shall make highways across the mountains, and prepare roads on which you can travel.

It is not true that I have forgotten or abandoned you.

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast?

Can she ignore the child she has borne?

Even if a mother can forget her offspring, I shall never forget you.

I have engraved your name on the palm of My hands.

I never cease to watch over you.

Peace will be your governor, and justice your ruler.

The sounds of violence will never again be heard in your land.

Your country will never again be destroyed by warfare.

Salvation will be the wall that defends you.

Praise will be the gates that protect you.

The sun will no longer be your light by day,

and the moon will no longer be your light at night.

I, your God, will be your eternal light.

The light of My glory will shine upon you--

a light that will continue to shine even when the sun and the moon are burnt out.

Cries of grief will never again be heard in your land.

My reflection:

People sometimes ask me how to know what God's will for us humans is.

Passages like this, which contain Divine promises, to me clearly describe the Divine will.

In the above words, it is clear that God desires the end of warfare and all violence

and the reign of peace and justice.

God wishes us to live in the Light of God, and to receive God's comfort and freedom.

My prayer:

Loving God, there are dark times when what You promise

in these prophetic words

seems like an impossible dream.

Yet, if I give up hope, and pay attention to the violence, the warfare,

the lack of peace even among people I know,

and the ignorance and greed of leaders and their followers,

I have little reason to look forward to the future.

May Your loving presence and promises be the Light in my darkness,

and the hope of my heart when it is broken.

And may I lend my self and my resources as instruments of Your Power

to create peace and justice where there is none now.

amen