The God Who Only knows Four Words
Every
child
has known God.
Not the God of names.
Not the God of don’ts.
Not the God who ever does
anything weird.
But the God who only knows four words
And keeps repeating them, saying:
“Come dance with me.”
Come
dance.
--Hafiz
This is my quiet reflection today. How could I miss a beat, a step, a nuance, a glance when I say that what I really want is to fall into the heart of God? Do I really want to tango? My self-consciousness and fear of exposure for being on fire flares up, imagining being bent over backward and looked at by God that way. Maybe it’s more of a foxtrot that’s quick and lively and not all that personal. Since I don’t really know the dance, I guess for once in my life I have to follow instead of trying to lead.
What’s my biggest fear? That I would find out that I’m on fire with love? That’s not so bad. We all have to burn sometime. It’s just a choice of when.
This is part of a series of Lenten reflections. Over the time of Lent friends and I are doing a Lenten study course with Christine Valters Paintner from the wonderful Abbey of the Arts. I will be writing some of my reflections, returning to ancient practices that can help me renew my most sacred vows. This is not easy or done without discernment, having left most religious ‘trappings’ behind. But I’m feeling drawn to revisit and see them with new eyes, as if for the first time. I hope you will consider traveling with me/us on this pilgrimage to the Heart of the Matter. There are challenges to reading the words of scripture that I struggle with. Challenges to allowing my heart door to creak open to their meaning, much of which feels so irrelevant and discordant with what I know of God's love to be. And I’m determined to be on my way.
Lenten reflection 1: Ashes on my third eye
Lenten reflection 2: Having it my way
Lenten reflection 3: Hell is breaking out in the kingdom of God
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About Beth Patterson
The Virtual Tea House website became 'word-ripe' when, over a cup of jasmine green, I realized that the web has an expanding part to play in the communal aspects of spiritual growth.
With a master's degree in religion, my career spans 30 years in end of life care and child abuse intervention and advocacy.
Here in beautiful Central Oregon, my spiritual homes of the high desert and the mountains are both in proximity. And for good measure, four hours away is Grandmother Ocean and the stunning Oregon Coast.
I'm making decent progress on the goal set by my mother early on: she taught us that the goal of humanity should be to become ever-more eccentric, i.e. more fully human.
Entering the 'forest-dweller' phase of life, I am honored to host the Virtual Tea House for all who wish to explore how our lives are enriched and made new a thousand times each day by the spirituality we embody. Exploring this engagement together is the purpose of the Virtual Tea House.
Welcome! Let's have a cup of virtual tea together and share what brings us joy, what we are being taught by life, how we are leaning into the Big Questions posed to us each day in sometimes 'distressing disguises'.
Follow me on Twitter, if you must
http://twitter.com/MyraB