Dear friends,
I recently came across a hymn based upon words of Minot Judson Savage,
A Unitarian minister who lived between 1841 and 1918.
The title of the hymn is Seek Not a Fur for Beauty.
Its opening words remind us of something very important,
Something that has been discovered by and referred to by mystics and poets over the years.
This is the idea that beauty is not in hiding.
Beauty is not something that we can only find in monasteries,
Churches and chapels,
Synagogues and places like that.
Our reaction to and our respect for holiness and beauty can be expressed in many ways in the everyday world,
Not simply in prayers which we kneel down to say,
Important and useful as those prayers are.
Beauty,
Holiness and evidence of God,
Whatever we may conceive God to be,
Are to be found right here,
Right now,
Above,
Below,
To the right and to the left of us.
The divine beauty is manifest in the hopeful bright green of leaves in springtime.
It can be known when we listen to the singing of a bird through an open window,
Or as we walk with attention through this amazing existence.
Listeners to my meditations will know that I am a huge fan of the late Mary Oliver.
Mary walked through life with her eyes wide open,
Wide open to the daily miracles that are all around to be seen.
If only we pause and take time to stop and notice.
This hymn invites us to follow the example of Mary Oliver,
By opening our eyes to the beauty that surrounds us every day.
It reminds us that the divine is very close,
Closer even than we are to ourselves,
Because it is in the divine that we live and move and have our being.
Before I read the poem to you,
Please take a few moments to become present.
Close your eyes if you wish.
Relax.
Enjoy the peace of this present moment.
Notice the sounds around you,
The near sounds,
The more distant sounds.
You might even notice you're breathing in and you're breathing out.
Any day when you can sit and relax,
Any day when you accept the gift of being present,
Any day like this is a good day.
And when you experience a good day like this,
You can accept the invitation and the inspiration to begin again.
You can always begin again.
You,
Me,
All of us,
Have this possibility to start afresh.
Otherwise,
Where would we be?
How would we ever improve?
How would we escape the quicksand of our past mistakes?
We can begin again.
You and I can resolve to use our energies to build a better world,
To make this world a kinder,
Gentler,
Happier place.
Spreading tolerance and understanding and love wherever we go.
Sending out ripples of warmth and goodwill,
Just as ripples move out from a storm dropped into a calm lake.
This is your moment to be present.
A one-minute pause for reflection before we hear a poem that reminds us that we do not have to seek out a burning bush in order to find the divine.
We can find the divine right here,
Right now.
If only we make the time to stop and take notice.
Welcome back.
And now the poem,
Seek Not Afar For Beauty.
Seek not afar for beauty,
Lo,
It glows in due west grasses,
All about thy feet.
In boards,
In sunshine,
Childish face is sweet.
In stars and mountain summits topped with snows.
Go not abroad for happiness,
For see it is a flower blooming at thy door.
Bring love and justice home,
Joy shall be yours as changing years unfold.
Dream not of noble service elsewhere wrought,
The simple duty that awaits thy hand Is God's voice uttering a divine command.
Life's common deeds build all that saints have taught.
In wonder-workings or some bush aflame,
Men look for God and fancy him concealed.
But in earth's common things he stands revealed.
While grass and flowers and stars spell out his name.
Words of Minot Judson Savage.
Thank you for spending these moments in reflection.
My closing wish for you today.
May you be well.
May you find beauty in the world that surrounds you.
May you be at peace,
Knowing that joy can bloom at your very door.
May you be held in safety always,
Just as the grasses hold the morning dew.
May love guide your hands In the simple tasks of the everyday.
May your heart awaken to the holiness That can be found in the commonplace.
May you dwell in gratitude for the stars of the night,
For birds of the sky,
And for the faithful companionship of friends.
Wherever you go,
May you be a supporter of justice And an advocate of fairness.
May compassion be your middle name And your memorable characteristic.
May you recognise the Divine,
Not in rare and obscure wonders,
But in the quiet blessings of each moment.
So may you be well.
May you be happy.
Above all,
May you be happy.
Namaste.
