The above flowers are small and fragile. But their colourful and resilient presence brings a message to ponder upon. With the wind and heavy rainfall of the last few days, these flowers continue to be present with no loss of their resolve to stay their life time!
I have had this question surfacing with me for the last few days: How do I respond to adverse situations!
I often returned to the passage in the new testament of the Bible where there is a reference to living in peace as much s possible: " If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18).
One step I took during this year was to send letters to a few people form I felt estranged, to which I received replies except from a few.
One's inner wellness is an experience that others also contribute. It is when there is a level of wellness or comfort with others the inner ambience becomes delightful and gracious.
In the book, Spirituality and the Awakening Self, David G. Benner presented the landscape of 'the sacred journey of transformation'. The two words, Awakening and Awareness that he elaborated on page 5 of the book brought freshness of thought: ' Each moment of awareness is a small awakening, and each awakening -no matter how insignificant it might seem-can be a doorway to becoming. As an object of awareness, nothing is too small to empower such an awakening. Awareness of anything opens us to the transcendent. This is awareness is so central to prayer'.
The awareness of the inner ambience of wellness and the fabric of relationship with others are two realities, that would need regular audit and revisit.
The saying of Jesus of Nazareth, in the sermon on the Mount has a profound message: 'If therefore you are presenting an offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering' (Matthew 5: 23-24).
I often have wondered whether such a practice can be real!
I sent a message to someone whose name appeared to me during a quiet time, wondering if there was any distance caused, on account of me. His response was open and conciliatory that I realised such acts of thoughtfulness help in making our interior increasingly integrated. Another person to whom I sent a message is yet to reply. This is an ongoing process of making our interior grow in openness and be confessional.
It is the interior of our life which is closest to us. If that becomes the place of self knowing, we find the corridor to the path of living in the light!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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