Light on the Page

There are many things which are right-sounding, which give the appearance of truth, which you can’t help acknowledging as correct. The world trades on these things and, in spiritual circles at least, they gain their devoted followers. And yet there is too much which, despite its apparent truth, leaves you frustrated and confused, which makes you feel you have no further path to follow. And there is much which is actively, deliberately deceptive. So much for the right-seeming.

At the same time, however, there is a deep baptismal river which flows past us the whole time. It acknowledges the cold sky above, the meaningless light the world tries to thrust on us, and the clay on our soles which is the inevitable result of life on earth. Step into that river just once and there is a sudden song – a piercing small voice inside which says, ‘I am here with you in body and in soul’. This is the voice to look for, the one which stands over and against the noise and flux of the world’s ‘truth’. It is a small voice but the world will never know how much truth it contains. It will never know how those who have found it, who are alone, can hear so much in the silent ether, which no sound breaks. The sky and the light and the clay gain a new life from this.

Are we alone? If all the people in the world said at once, ‘I am alone,’ the bare sound of it would not make us together. But something in the light which is our real home will carry our calling back to a single source. No matter if we live or if we die then, we will all hold converse in one ringing baptism – what is alone is at one with the all, what is apart finds its way to the one.

You may say, that’s all very well but where can I find this baptismal river? The only possible answer is that the river lies in the seeking. Look beyond the world’s noise and the right-seeming, and you will find it. And the baptist? He will be there too.

 

Baptism

The deep baptismal river, the cold sky,

meaningless light, clay on the soles, and then –

sudden song, a piercing small voice inside:

I am here with you in body and soul.

Not now, not ever, will the world know

how we who are alone can hear so much

in the silent ether which no sound breaks,

how the sky and light and clay gain a life.

 

One

If we all say at once we are alone,

the bare sound will not make us together,

but something in the light which houses us

will bear our calling to a single source.

No matter if we live or if we die,

we hold converse in a ringing baptism:

what is alone is at one with the all,

what is apart finds its way to the one.

 

Best wishes, today,

Landar

 

© landar 2010. All rights reserved