Cutting Brambles, Bearing Fruit

 Cut brambles long enough, 

Sprout after sprout, 

And the lotus will bloom 

of its own accord: 

Already waiting in the clearing, 

The single image of light. 

The day you see this, 

That day you will become it.    

 

 Sun-Bu-er (1124-?)     

  

I suppose I first came across this poem when I was in seminary, but I do not remember.   It recently returned to my mind in a discussion with my Qigong instructor.  While Sun-Bu-er was Taoist, not Christian, her poem seems appropriate for the Lenten journey.   I always have a sense of God waiting for us.  While our paths are sometimes filled with thorny brambles, with intent we can  make our way.   Jesus, too, spoke of pruning:  "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. He removes any of my branches that don't produce fruit, and he trims any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit (John 15:1)."  

  

That clearing is where all can recognize that we are one.       

  

If you would like to join me for  Lenten Meditation, drop me a note and I will send you the link.  Two times will be offered:  Tuesdays at 2:30 and Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. , beginning February 23.  We will settle in with a short reading, sit 20 minutes in silence, and then have a few minutes of discussion and prayer.   You are welcome to join anytime.      

  

Love and Blessings on your journey,  

Sue Ann   

    

image:  San Leandro, February 2020