Friday, December 20, 2013

Where do justice and peace kiss?


This became a new prayer for me last night when under some stress from various directions: A new reminder that peace isn't always passive or easy and yet the work must itself lead to peace:

In compassion

justice and peace kiss.

We have to run into peace.


What is born of God

seeks peace

and runs into peace.


The person who runs and runs,

continually running toward peace,

is a heavenly person.


Even the heavens

are continually running

and in their running

are seeking peace.


The fullest work

that God ever worked

in any creature is compassion.


Whatever God does,

the first outburst is always compassion.

The highest work that God ever works is compassion.


from Meister Eckhart via translation work by Matthew Fox in the centering book:
"Meditations with Meister Eckhart" pp 108 & 109 The front of the book has this Eckhart quote: "The path is beautiful and pleasant and joyful and familiar"

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7 comments:

  1. robertFriday, December 20, 2013

    Greetings,

    Thank you for this interesting poem. It triggers reflection in this person on the running and running outside the ribs, and how that race is very mechanical.

    All good wishes,

    robert

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  2. CNFriday, December 20, 2013

    Well, I'd like to know more about what you are thinking, Robert, what you mean? Perhaps this reflection could lead to very different interpretations and find overlap?

    For me, these metaphors calmed me down and helped me see that the process to peace, justice and compassion isn't always easy yes and sometimes mechanical yet running toward this goal is not wasted.

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  3. robertSaturday, December 21, 2013

    Greetings,

    I don't know what I mean. By this, I intend that, if I think about this too long, I'll extrapolate it into something not useful.

    There is peace inside the chest. It precedes all other peace, which is contingent upon that chest-peace.

    All good wishes,

    robert

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  4. CNMonday, December 23, 2013

    This answer will tide me over for now :) I don't yet know if I get your interesting response yet I sometimes feel that peace which is contingent on the "chest-peace" perhaps when I am going for the goal...sometimes when it doesn't feel comfortable or easy at all. And sometimes there's no end in sight. And sometimes I don't know what I'm doing nor how I am going to get to peace. Yet I'm running for all I'm worth and somehow trusting something ahead that I don't always feel or even know.

    Sometimes looking back this chest peace and running wildly yet forward can be satisfying at the time in a way yet greatly satisfying looking back.

    And for me a better foundation for the road ahead than if I had not run that way so intentionally and trusting.

    How I look forward to more conversation about this experience some day!

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  5. CNMonday, December 23, 2013

    How deeply I felt connected with you Dec 22 Robert -- as close as I could manage to heart connection in terms of this conversation.

    Before and after I saw and reflected on your comments here, I have been also reflecting more on the Meditations of Meister Eckhart who also said, evidently, the following:

    "The outward work can never be puny if the inward work is great...(which) includes in itself all expansiveness, all breadth, all length, all depth.

    Such a work receives and draws all its being from nowhere else except from and in the heart of God."

    So I meditated on your metaphors or actualities of the chest inside the ribs and the race that does not include the chest or heart inside the ribs being quite mechanical. YET, what Meister Eckhart speaks of is anything but mechanical at the core although including such effort. Yet, the starting place is so out from the heart, the center, the source of life beating. So you and Dr. Eckhart and and the co-writer of my current book project and most of all Allah, are teaching me something so important tonight!

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  6. robertTuesday, December 24, 2013

    Greetings,

    I'm re-reading one of my favorite books, this one being "Saint Francis" by Nikos Kazantzakis. In it are many teachings.

    "I realized that man's soul is omnipotent, that God, God in His entirety, sits inside man, and that it is unnecessary for us to run to the ends of the earth in His pursuit. All we have to do is gaze into our own hearts."

    Sometimes things can be metaphors. And then sometimes things are literal. Of course, metaphors, if they're useful and not simply a waste of time, point to real things to be done.

    All good wishes,

    robert

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  7. CNWednesday, December 25, 2013

    Robert, I like your comment at the end so well, I'm going to read it aloud at our Christmas meal tonite!

    Hope your day went/is going well.

    Christmas love,

    Connie

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