From presence to relationship !

 

My attention was drawn by the flowers in the garden in the morning, till I heard the reciprocal bird calls of Magpie Robins in the garden. 

I looked up and noticed two of them perched in a coconut palm and calling out to each other tunefully. In between they would stop nd just be in silent beholding! Their body language was communicative of how they regarded each other beyond being strangers! This is the time of courtship for Magpie robins, which was explicit in their behaviour. 

When I looked down, what caught my eyes was a butterfly in its silent posture on a flower. It stayed there so long that I could not wait any longer. 

This stillness of this butterfly on a flower brought a metaphorical message that refreshed me. 

I am currently reading a book, 'A MONK in the WORLD' by Wayne Teasdale published by New world library, Californian in 2003. The author, being an abbot, narrated his experience of finding stillness, silence and solitude in his life. He shared his personal journey by finding stillness in this body, leading him to experience silence of speech, thoughts, will, the unconscious, of being, while being embraced by solitude (p 29-34).

The picture of this butterfly on a flower became a metaphor as the flower in offering its nectar draws the butterfly to itself. The gift of stillness, silence and solitude is communion with God, an experience made possible by preparing oneself to be 'alone with the ALONE God!

I returned from the garden with three messages, which guided me to ponder upon them during the day- the silent presence of a flower, the communicative intimacy of a bird pair and the language of communion in the picture of a butterfly and the flower. 

How refreshing and upbuilding it is to think that life is immersed in relationships which bear fruits! 

The formative and transformative process in life emerge out of this nets work of relationships. The outcome of this process is human life enriched to carry a dimension of awareness of oneself, mindfulness towards others and self-giving act towards God', in whom 'we live, move and have our being'!

The garden outside is place that I visit. The inner garden is also a space, I am called to visit by practicing interior silence through the discipline of  stillness!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)