Christine Valters Paintner invited us to reflect on the painting as it was the prompt for today’s poetry writing in a class that I am taking through the Abbey of the Arts (link in the painting’s caption). This past week included a long overdue trip to Minnesota to see my Dad. Walking through the Valley of the Shadows with dementia is often difficult. Even though the journey has its challenges, this past week was also a time filled with love and grace. Denise and I are both thankful for the time we had with him. The moments of laughter and love were such a gift in the midst of this journey. My first response was seeing the heart of Mother Mary at the foot of the cross. I wrote this poem as a response to the prompt and also as an invitation to go deeper in exploring my own journey.
A heart is broken
She had been told this would happen
A sword would pierce her heart
She watched his life-blood drain away
Slowly and painfully with each beat of his heart
Slowly her heart was breaking
Her heartbeat in unison with his
I look at the blue
A River of life coming out of the crack
The crack is how the light of the Spirit gets in
A heart is broken
A heart that will heal
Out of the pain
Healing and hope for a new day
Verse of the day
Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
– Isaiah 41:10
Voice of the day
The question isn’t if we can weather this unknown, / But how we will weather this unknown together.
– Amanda Gorman, “The Miracle of Morning”
Prayer of the day
As we stare into the unknown, let us hold hands in community.
As we made our journey to Minnesota and back, there was a lot of time for reflection. Denise was reading and would share insights from the books that we are both supposed to have read before our Columbia Presbyterian Theological Seminary class at Montreat the week before Palm Sunday and Holy Week. We have also been listening to inspirational and insightful music/poetry from Christine Valters Paintner and our friends at Abbey of the Arts (Abbey Shop) along with the deeply touching music of Alana Levandoski (Alana’s website).
As I began reflecting on tonight’s blog, the Beatles song, The Long and Winding Road (YouTube link) popped into my head. As we begin the second week of our Sabbath rest, some may wonder where this journey will lead us. If you aren’t certain, you aren’t alone! We don’t know the specifics of that journey, only that we are accompanied by some amazing friends, some of whom are mentioned above. Of course my spiritual mentor and brother, Thomas Merton is a part of that cloud of witnesses. Merton shared the following from his journal entry on February 14, 1953: A Search for Solitude: Pursuing the Monk’s True Life, The Journals of Thomas Merton, Volume 3: 1952-1960.
For, of all men, the solitary knows least where he is going, and yet he is more sure, for there is one thing he cannot doubt: he travels where God is leading him. That is precisely why he doesn’t know the way. And that too is why, to most other men, the way is something of a scandal.
Thank you, dear reader, for accompanying us on this journey of spiritual renewal and discovery.
Verse of the day
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good[.]
– Romans 12:9
Voice of the day
Valentine’s Day should serve as a calendar reminder of our communal connection, and our responsibility toward people whose labor assists in proclaiming our love.
– Céire Kealty, “This Valentine’s Day, Fair Trade Chocolate Isn’t Enough”
Prayer of the day
Remind us of our responsibility to love one another with generosity and justice.
“No nation can ever be worthy of its existence that cannot take its women along with the men. No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both: that of the women.” —Muhammad Ali Jinnah
“Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”—Albert Einstein
This has indeed been an unusual and difficult trip. There has been a very significant change in my dad. The stories are still repeated and mixed up but now there are also long periods of silence. The journey through the Valley of Dementia is difficult. Yet in this difficult journey we are not alone. The caregivers and employees at his Assisted Living love him dearly as do his friends from the church and community.
As challenging as this journey is, we have felt the continued love and support of so many, love and support from places we hadn’t considered. The waitress who knows us , loves us, and has served us so many meals and drinks over these past seven months. Friends who will drive an hour to simply share a meal and listen to us talk. These are the unexpected blessings of life.
In his book, Thoughts in Solitude, Thomas Merton’s prayer of unknowing speaks to these times in our own lives.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
Denise and I are so thankful for the many gifts and expressions of love shared with us and with my dad.
And we trust that Godde will lead us along the way no matter how lost we may feel.
It seems crucial that you realize deeply that your worth and value does not depend on anyone else. You have to claim your own inner truth. You are a person worth being loved and called to give love, not because anyone says so . . . but because you are created out of love and live in the embrace of a God who didn’t hesitate to send his only son to die for us. . . . Your being good and worthy of love does not depend on any human being. You have to keep saying to yourself: “I am being loved by an unconditional, unlimited love and that love allows me to be a free person, center of my own actions and decisions.” The more you can come to realize this, the more you will be able to forgive those who have hurt you and love them in their brokenness. Without a deep feeling of self-respect, you cannot forgive and will always feel anger, resentment, and revenge. The greatest human act is forgiveness: “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” Forgiveness stands in the center of God’s love for us and also in the center of our love for each other. Loving one another means forgiving one another over and over again.
Quote courtesy of The Henri Nouwen Society
Red as a carnation. This flower, this light, this moment, this silence = Dominus est, eternity! Best because the flower is itself and the light is itself and the silence is itself and I am myself—all, perhaps, an illusion, but no matter, for illusion is nevertheless the shadow of reality and reality is the grace that underlies these lights, these colors, and this silence. February 4, 1958 (A Search for Solitude: Pursuing the Monk’s True Life, The Journals of Thomas Merton, Volume 3: 1952-1960)
Thank you, dear Brother for this reflection on the flowers that were on the altar in 1958. To slow down and simply enjoy such a moment as this… to enjoy the simple beauty and wonder of God’s creative presence… that is part of our hope for Sabbath rest ♥️♥️
Wise words of compassion from my friend Jake Owensby!
Wisdom is the art of navigating messy places.
So whether we are rich or poor, weeping or letting the good times roll, we need wisdom. Life inevitably gets messy. And wisdom is the art of navigating messy places. Read further at:
Navigating Life’s Messy Places
Pastor Michael Moore's Blog 