“Brigid is especially connected to the elements of water and fire. Many holy wells across Ireland are dedicated to her and wells are places of healing, where those suffering with illness come to be transformed.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Sacred Seasons: A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year – A Self-Study Online Retreat
How might drinking water become an instrument of healing if you were to imagine that each cup had been drawn from one of Brigid’s holy wells? How might this simple action change the contours of your daily life?
In a world so filled with divisiveness, hatred, and fear we may be missing an essential element. Frankly it goes back to the creation story in Genesis, Chapter One. So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them… God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1:27, 31 NRSV)
Sadly, since the very beginning, humankind, made in the image of God, has separated and vilified the “other” in a quest to prove the superiority of one at the expense of the other. Whether it be division according to sex, race, national origin, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, or any other categories, humankind has done a “good” (irony… tongue firmly planted in cheek) job of creating barriers or building walls of separation. I cannot even imagine how greatly it grieves the heart of the one who created each of us in the Divine Image.
In his book, Seeds of Contemplation, Thomas Merton discusses the concept of Imago Dei. These words are at once compelling and challenging to humankind today. To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that Love is the reason for my existence, for God is love. Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love is my name.
In the era of hyper-partisanship, hatred, ignorance, and fear we must step back and reflect on our common nature as children of God. It is the only way that humankind can survive.
May we all step back and see the Love of God and the divine imprint in each other. As Dr King once said, I have decided to stick to love… hate is too great a burden to bear. May that be our choice and our calling.
“Contemplative presence to nature transforms our daily choices so we become conscious of how to live within the matrix of creation in life-giving ways.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, The Self-Study Online Retreat ~ Water, Wind, Earth and Fire: Praying with the Elements
How do your contemplative practices affect your daily choices?
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
After several days of overcast skies
A day of sunshine today
What a lift to the spirit it has been
A day of study and reflection
A time of fellowship
A time to simply Be Still
For all of your gifts I thank you, Lord
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
Tonight we watched the documentary, “Tricky Dick & The Man in Black.” It was about Johnny Cash and his awakening during the Vietnam War. He had served in the Air Force during Korea and was as patriotic as you would expect the typical Country Western star of his era to be. A number of events happened which brought about a change in his heart and his life. It culminated in a refusal to sing songs that Nixon wanted him to sing and instead share a poem/song which came out of his experience in Vietnam as a USO performer.
These lyrics were a surprise to many of those in attendance at the White House that night.
The old man turned off the radio
Said, “Where did all of the old songs go
Kids sure play funny music these days
They play it in the strangest ways”
Said, “it looks to me like they’ve all gone wild
It was peaceful back when I was a child”
Well, man, could it be that the girls and boys
Are trying to be heard above your noise?
And the lonely voice of youth cries “What is truth?”
A little boy of three sittin’ on the floor
Looks up and says, “Daddy, what is war?”
“son, that’s when people fight and die”
The little boy of three says “Daddy, why?”
A young man of seventeen in Sunday school
Being taught the golden rule
And by the time another year has gone around
It may be his turn to lay his life down
Can you blame the voice of youth for asking
“What is truth?”
A young man sittin’ on the witness stand
The man with the book says “Raise your hand”
“Repeat after me, I solemnly swear”
The man looked down at his long hair
And although the young man solemnly swore
Nobody seems to hear anymore
And it didn’t really matter if the truth was there
It was the cut of his clothes and the length of his hair
And the lonely voice of youth cries
“What is truth?”
The young girl dancing to the latest beat
Has found new ways to move her feet
The young man speaking in the city square
Is trying to tell somebody that he cares
Yeah, the ones that you’re calling wild
Are going to be the leaders in a little while
This old world’s wakin’ to a new born day
And I solemnly swear that it’ll be their way
You better help the voice of youth find
“What is truth/”
As I listened to this song and watched the documentary, I thought about Thomas Merton’s own thoughts about the Vietnam War and war in general. I wonder what Merton would have said to Johnny Cash when he took his stand at the White House in 1970. Frankly I believe that Merton would have applauded Johnny’s courage and vision.
Today I watch as the military industrial complex grows fat on government contracts and endless wars. Do they know the human cost of war? Merton lost his own brother in WW2 and he knew the pain personally. I believe that in part fueled his activism.
In Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, Merton said the following: Power has nothing to do with peace. The more men [sic] build up military power, the more they violate peace and destroy it. (p. 34)
These words strike deep at the heart of the lust for power and violence we see in this nation and around the world. So, do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves and work for peace. The choice is ours… as for me, I choose the way of peace.
“This is one of the earliest know caim [encircling] prayers, attributed to St. Columcille: ‘Bless to me the sky that is above me. Bless to me the ground that is beneath me. Bless to me the friends who are around me. Bless to me the love of the Three, deep within me and encircling me. Amen.’”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, The Soul’s Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred
Just for today, try praying a caim. Use this one or write your own. Watch for how it shifts your day.
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Even though the temperature was bone-chilling
The warmth of heart was stronger
Visiting with a dear family in the hospital
Spending time in conversation with a good friend
Spending the evening with my sweetheart
All of this helps to warm the heart
For these and all gifts I thank you
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
While reading Thomas Merton’s Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, I came across this passage. If we want to bring together what is divided, we cannot do so by imposing one division upon the other or absorbing one division into another. But if we do this, the union is not Christian. It is political, and doomed to further conflict. We must contain all divided worlds in ourselves and transcend them in a Christ. (p. 14)
Merton was discussing the idea of dialogue between among others, Eastern and Western Christian thought and devotions. Merton knew first hand the results of divisions in Christianity and the antagonism between Christianity and other world religions. In his later writings, he was truly entering into dialogue with other faith communities. The purpose was not to prove one right or wrong but to truly learn from each other.
This quote also speaks to me of the divisions in this country. Between religion and politics, there is a lot of division and mistrust to say the least. Instead of dialogue and cooperation, we dig into our defensive works and lob verbal bombs at each other. With Merton, I am prayerfully considering how to overcome divisiveness and work together for the good of all of God’s children and for the good of creation. That is our challenge and that is our mission, dear reader. By grace perhaps we can make a difference in this world.
“Greenness is not just a physical reality but a spiritual one as well. Hildegard believed that viriditas was something to be cultivated in both body and soul. Her language is filled with metaphors for seeking out the moistness and fruitfulness of the soul. The sign of our aliveness is this participation in the life force of the Creator.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, The Wisdom of the Body: A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women
How does viriditas manifest in your body and soul? What brings you to life?
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been a day filled with snow
It has also been a day filled with sweet puppy dogs like Pixie and Sir Benjamin
When you take a dear puppy into your home
You take them into your heart
For such a precious gift, I thank you Lord
Now as my eyelids grow heavy heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
