This morning I was perusing the 2023 June issue of Thin Places, a newsletter from the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. I was boldly thinking I could just toss it in recycling, but as it happens so often, I decided to take one more look "just to be sure". I came across a quote by Father Thomas Keating that seemed to fit well with a photograph I took in the backyard on Monday after playing my flute for a few minutes there. The message from Father Keating was:
"The contemplative vision perceives God fully present in our lives, even in the midst of disaster, turmoil, or personal failure. It never loses hope because its hope is not based on human events but on the divine goodness, which is infinitely powerful and infinitely merciful..."
The unopened flower seemed to contain some secret writing, and I think that is true of all life on earth. We carry the embedded messages of our ancestors (both positive and negative), of our current lives, and most importantly, the message of Sacred Presence that connects us all. To me this photograph speaks of connection. I needed the light to see it, but even in darkness, messages and connection are there. Guides show up in surprising ways. I can, at least for a few moments at a time, turn from focusing solely only on human events, many of which I do not even experience directly. Let us all be cautious of what we take in. We do not want to crowd out the wisdom that already resides within.
Alas, this newsletter is no longer being produced. I shall miss it. It has proven to be a good guide over the years.
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