The love of God is like a cool fountain
Continually shooting joy up into our hearts –
Or a bright flame that illuminates our minds
And never goes out.
Once you experience ineffable love
You’ll know what God is like –
Nevertheless, this is difficult to describe
Even for mystics or poets.
The secret of successfully growing older physically –
Is to simultaneously grow younger spiritually.
As our body starts falling away – heading back towards the earth –
At the same time, we should be striving to attain freedom of spirit –
We’ll know we’re living right
When, as our happiness is receding,
We experience joy on the rise.
We’ll be satisfied with decreasing material success
When a “spiritual” fountain opens up in our hearts –
And grows daily more refreshing.
It’s a race we win by losing –
An “end of life” paradox:
As we dissolve into the dust –
We simultaneously become more radiant.
Usually, one doesn’t meet God personally,
And, even in that case, ordinarily just by accident.
We pass by, and only later realize
Something happened –
Maybe just a momentary impression –
Like noticing stars looking like astral “white flowers”
Or a simple shrub beside the path, when hit by the sun, turning into a “star.”
It’s the joy arising in our hearts
That tells us God has just passed by.
Unexpectedly, we feel like dancing –
Even though the world might think us crazy –
And we are – but only for God.
Our heart starts beating an internal drum:
– Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy –
Our feet leave the ground –
And, suddenly,
We’re in the air!
Who says there’s no such thing as ecstasy
In North America?
“Heaven” is a place many wish for –
But wishing doesn’t make it real.
It’s not just children who cherish fairytales –
We all want to believe in them.
From a personal perspective,
If life doesn’t continue after our given span, it loses some meaning –
But, of course, that’s not how God sees it!
God gifts us with life and almost infinite opportunities to love –
But if we insufficiently value this –
Counting on greater gifts to come –
We are fools –
Entertaining, but, ultimately tragic, fools.
Living within the stream of life –
Going fast – and then – towards the end – even faster –
Working, eating – having fun –
When we finally reach the “ocean” –
It looks like, at least in our present form, we may simply disappear.
It’s no different than anything else –
We are what we are,
And, then, one day, perhaps, come to an “end”.
It’s a joyful sort of tragedy –
Which we’ve been fortunate to participate in –
Our minds, sometimes, however, refuse to accept this –
But our hearts know better –
Our hearts are always willing to give our minds permission
To adjust to the coming reality.
Law and the Political
BUILDING ALTERNATIVES FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET: News and reports from the grassroots on worker and community coops, land trusts, participatory bufgeting and other explorations in mutual aid
Diner Mystic 