She,In the dark,Found lightBrighter than many ever see.She,Within herself,Found loveliness,Through the soul’s own mastery.And now the world receivesFrom her dower:The message of the strengthOf inner power. ‘She’ Langston Hughes In a meditation on the ‘night hour’, Macrina Wiederkehr includes Helen Keller’s description of her faith, in the midst of permanent silence and darkness, being aContinue reading “day 17”
Tag Archives: presence
day 16
[Art is] contemplative because [it] ignites memories of the awe and wonder that we tend to discard after childhood. . . . When we decide to live in our heads only, we become isolated from the God who is closer than our next breath. To subject everything to rational analysis reduces the awe to ashes.Continue reading “day 16”
day 14
If grief can be a doorway to love, then let us all weep for the world we are breaking apart so we can love it back to wholeness again.” Robin Wall Kimmerer So often when I feel utterly joyless, and completely weighed down by the weight of my own pain and the weight of the suffering thatContinue reading “day 14”
day 13
You see, there is much I want. Perhaps everything: the darkness of each infinite fall, the scintillant play of each ascent. So many people live without wishes, calm of spirit, light of judgement, muted as princes. But you rejoice in every soul that thirsts and serves, rejoice in all whose hands reserve you for aContinue reading “day 13”
day 10
Sometimes, gliding at night in a plane over New York City I have felt like some messenger called to enter, called to engage this field of light and darkness. A grandiose idea, born of flying. But underneath the grandiose idea is the thought that what I must engage after the plane has raged onto theContinue reading “day 10”
Sunday 2
you need to be very stillto hear the concert of your body to think about what you contain salt and waterknows what it’s doingrenewing itselfback to earthit is a quiet thingthis is where our riches arewe are all red insidebrimming with loveall fluid and quiet and fire. ‘Core’ Kerrie O’Brien I am on the journeyContinue reading “Sunday 2”
day 6
I could not predict the fullnessof the day. How it was enoughto stand alone without helpin the green yard at dawn. How two geese would spin outof the ochre sun opening my spine,curling my head up to the skyin an arc I took for granted. And the lilac bush by the redbrick wall flooding theContinue reading “day 6”
Sunday 1
[Please note these adventapertures are a slow read. Poetry and music, science and theology are mixed in with reflections on my personal spiritual journey. Some days they may not an easy read either, as I try to share as honestly as I can all the bumps in my road to Joy.] ‘when they saw thatContinue reading “Sunday 1”
learning to lean
As I was journalling this morning about a blog post I recently finished writing and what more planning I needed to do for my own Advent series on imageintoikon, I found myself reflecting on the exact words Christine chose for the Godspace Advent theme this year. The verb ‘to lean’ caught at my attention. AsContinue reading “learning to lean”
a certain slant of light
(all images by Kate Kennington Steer) There’s a certain Slant of light,Winter Afternoons –That oppresses, like the HeftOf Cathedral Tunes – Heavenly Hurt, it gives us –We can find no scar,But internal difference –Where the Meanings, are – None may teach it – Any –’Tis the seal Despair –An imperial afflictionSent us of the AirContinue reading “a certain slant of light”
image into ikon 