The 60-Second Sabbath

openness

  • Fear Not

    The angel appeared."Fear not," he said. "You always say that," I said."Whenever you pop in,you always start with,'Fear not.'What's up with that?" He sighed."Because no one listenswhen they're afraid–not to spouses, neighbors, friends,family members, store clerks–they just don't listen.It's so… Continue reading

  • The Heart in Pieces

    Is this your heart,in pieces on the entry tile?Ah, it broke last nightjust as you made it home… I am sorry–I recall the pain of it,and the need to leave the pieceswhere they fall,perhaps to pick up later(which we almost… Continue reading

  • Yes or No?

    Start with "no,"and you'll never get to "yes";doors slam the length of the corridor,blocking entrance to all possiblities. Start with "yes,"and sunlight filtersthrough a thousand, trembling leaves. Text and image © 2013 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading

  • Making Progress

    I review my spiritual journey: I needed clarity then.I need mystery now. I needed definition then.I live in the vast Open now. I needed safety then.I am falling now, ever upward. Text and image © 2013 by Dirk deVries. All… Continue reading

  • A Warning about Words

    The danger in preaching(so we've been told)is the failure to practice. The danger in writingis the failureto follow the vision we espouse. The danger in everyday speechis the risk of stumbling from the conversationin the opposite direction of our assertions. The… Continue reading

  • Who You Are

    Though loss follows loss,you are not diminished.If anything,you becomemore clearly, purely, simplywho you are. Imagine yourself a crystal goblet,sparklingly empty,reflector and refractor of Light–an object of beauty breathtaking,ready to be filledwith the attainableand the inconceivable. Text and image © 2012 by… Continue reading

  • Abraham and Isaac

    The most powerful storiesare the ones from which we instinctively recoil.Take, for example,Abraham's call to sacrifice his son, Isaac–this is meant to be a doorway to the sacred? It's a doorway to an empty elevator shaft. Who is God?What is… Continue reading

  • Aurify the World

    This very dayall the forces of heaven and earthalign within youto aurify the world.You are their holy verge, their sacred scepter. Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.  Continue reading

  • Advent 10

    "Open your eyes," Jesus says,which means that some of uschoose blindness. "Join the company of the open hearts,the unafraid, the welcoming!" Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.  Continue reading

  • Try Getting Lost

    Searching for a spiritual discipline?Try getting lost:visit a strange city,leave your baggage at your hotel and start walking.Drift left, veer right,turn toward what distracts you.Nod at people you pass;imagine their lives–as rich and confusing as your own.Say, "Hey, pup!" to curious… Continue reading