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A Few Words From Pastor Bryan
...and Anne Lamott & Hafiz
The amazing author Anne Lamott shared a reflection on Facebook yesterday that I appreciated so much I used it as this morning's devotional reading in our 8:00 a.m. Monday through Friday zoom group. She started out by saying "I have catastrophe fatigue." She went on to share that "life has been a bit too 'lifey' this summer." Too many intense things to deal with. Big things and little things. Geopolitical and personal. Too many causes, too many issues, too many responses required. She said the last straw was that she went to a website to make a contribution to help victims of the tragic fires on Maui, only to get a pop up that told her that a $12.99 processing fee would be added to her donation. Really? That was it. She shut her computer down, and realized that she herself was shutting down. The rest of her post contained thoughts about what to do when we find ourselves shutting down.
Here's a link to the reading in case you'd like to read it.
I so much appreciate what Anne had to share. In essence, her piece was about reminding herself that God is with her and that while she's had enough for now, she won't give up. She'll keep doing what's hers to do. But she'll also know when she needs a break, and when she needs to just lie on the floor and snuggle her dog. Or look out the window and watch a hummingbird. You know, do the little things that make us feel human and that ground us in some wonder and sweetness and stillness. Read her post. She says it way better than I am here.
As for me, in addition to music and nature and spending time with friends who truly are friends, I often find that the simple poems of the Sufi poet Hafiz are wonderful medicine for an overloaded soul that might be well on its way into shut down mode. I'm not there--in danger of shutting down. But it has been a very full week in my life and in this wild world of ours. So I'll end this week's "Few Words" with 3 very brief poems of Hafiz (written in the 1300's) that I love. They each stand on their own. I suggest you read them a few times and let the Spirit use them to a send some cool breezes your way.
Remember by the way that worship is outdoors this Sunday. Hope to see you there under the trees (or with us on zoom).
Blessings all you beautiful people,
Pastor Bryan
3 Poems For When The News Is Depressing
By Hafiz
“Build a house for humans and birds.
Sit with them and play music.
For a day, for just one day,
talk about that which disturbs no one
and bring some peace, my friend,
into your beautiful eyes.”
“My dear, Is it true that your mind
is sometimes like a battering Ram
Running all through the city,
Shouting so madly inside and out
About the ten thousand things
That do not matter?”
“This sky Where we live
Is no place to lose your wings
So love,
Love,
Love.”
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