Human beings are irrepressibly religious. Our souls, even if ignored, will always seek transcendence, wonder, and a way to connect with something larger than the small world of our own egos and social groups. Modernity excluded and maligned religion (often for good reason), but at great cost. Without good religion, human beings are adrift in the cosmos; we are lost to the things that help us find meaning, identity, and wholeness. Religion can be a healing force if we bring new life to it.
The soul is the fountain of our flourishing. We all, in one way or another, want to thrive. Who wants to die never having lived into who they really are? How can we rediscover the fire and force of our souls, to love well, do good work, make a difference, live with meaning, and build a better world? . . .
Throughout history, one of the most time-honored ways of hearing the still, small voice of GOD is to sit still with Holy Scripture, yield yourself to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and listen for what may come to you. The historic practice of Lectio Divina, long neglected, is now making a come back. This kind of listening for GOD can also be done with a piece of art, an icon, something in your garden . . . anything (I call this kind of visual meditation “visio divina”). Below I briefly outline 25 things to keep in mind
Last month, I experienced the acclaimed American poet, Anne Waldman, perform a series of her poems, along with her band, at the Corrala de Santiago, in Granada, Spain. She is an electrifying presence, a flaming advocate for the vitality of poetry to keep open possibility in this time when the Powers are trying to shut resistance down, put a lid on opportunity, and turn the clock backward.
No one ever knows, nor therefore has grounds to judge, what goes on between two people, often not even the people themselves, half-opaque as we are to ourselves. One thing is certain: The quotient of intimacy cannot be contained in a label like “Uranian”—or “queer,” or whatever comes next. The human heart is an ancient beast that roars and purrs with the same passions, whatever labels we may give them.
