Humility
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When God Lives within You
When God lives within youthe parables and prayersof all faithsincreasingly make sense–the poems of the Sufis,the drumming circles of indigenous peoples,the beads of the Catholic rosary,the prayer Jesus taught his disciples,the rasping chant of the evening cicadas… The more deeply… Continue reading
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We’re All Immigrants
It's easy to forgetwe're all immigrantswithout any claimto this space or time,wayfarers,both strange and poor. It's easy to forget we're being hostedby a gracious Innkeeper,who endlessly overlooksour unwillingness to clear the table,the clothes we leave on the floor,the lack of… Continue reading
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If You Seek
If you seek a God of vengeance and violence,you will find your God in the Bible.If you seek a God of compassion and love,you will find your God in the Bible.In fact,the history of Christianitytells the story of the battlebetween… Continue reading
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Only Poetry
Only poetry probesthe complicated inner life of God. Only imagination reachesthe unspoken and unarticulated mystery of What's Beyond. Only the mystic enters(naked, vulnerable, purposeless)the Holy of Holies. Only artists lead usto the Center. Am I overstating?I struggle to know. Text and… Continue reading
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The Labyrinth
I awaken in the centerof a vast, grassy labyrinth.I cannot see its outer rim,but the well-worn path leads outward,freshly trodden. The labyrinth of lovebeckons me. Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading
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That Which Is Next
That which is next for youlurks around the corner,ready to pounce.You can hide, resist, fight–but it sill comes:illness, unemployment, conflict, loneliness. Or you could say,"That which is next–I'm ready to greet you.We will be companions.I may not best you,but I… Continue reading
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May I Remind You
May I remind you,we love each other. It's why we were created.It's in our DNA.Try as we might to the contrary–and we sometimes try awfully hard–we love each other. Deep down,where God resides,we love each other. Text and image © 2011… Continue reading
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Getting It
If the disciples didn't get it(and most of the time they did not),is it any surprise we don't either? Let's give ourselves a break,not giving up on the journey,but walking side by sidewith ever increasing humility and patience. Text and… Continue reading
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We Return from the Mountain
We return from the mountain,faces glowingdesperate to describeour encounter with Mystery,but the words for which we reach elude us,don't yet exist–not in English,not in any human tongue. We try:"It's painful but welcome purging," we say."It's corrosive but compassionate reframing…" See? Even these words,like… Continue reading
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“Am I Wise?” You Ask
"Am I wise?" you ask. If you talk too long or loudly, likely not.If you have more answers than questions, likely not.If you seek illumination from without, likely not.If you dance self-consciously and without abandon… or not at all, likely not.If you arrive… Continue reading