… watching for the brushstrokes of God
…”Geese appear high over us,
pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,
as in love or sleep, holds
them to their way, clear,
in the ancient faith: what we need
is here. And we pray, not
for new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye
clear. What we need is here.” Wendell Berry
How do you know what you need?
…”Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting – over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.” Mary Oliver
What are you being offered?
“Be tender with your little ones, O God,
Steady our souls as we learn to live.” from common prayer
Where do you need God’s gentle touch?
“One of the greatest of spiritual attainments is the capacity to do nothing.” Dallas Willard
How do you know God’s embrace?
“Grief work is soul work. It requires courage to face the world as it is and not turn away, to not burrow into a hole of comfort and anesthetization. Grief deepens our connection with soul, taking us into territories of vulnerability, exposing the truth of our need for others in times of loss and suffering.” Francis Weller, The Wild Edge of Sorrow
Borderlands are
spaces where two cultures and narratives meet,
continuously changing landscapes,
places of disorientation and reorientation.
Encountering the other
with potential for unimaginable violence
or creative mutual transformation.
How do we navigate spaces that threaten to take our breath while also promising new life beyond our imagination?
With the Eyes of the Heart 