Dear friends,
The well-known poem by Rumi compares this life of ours to a guesthouse.
Rumi encourages us to welcome with openness all that comes our way,
All that crosses our door.
In an age of hardening borders and rising walls,
We could do well to follow Rumi's advice.
We live on a beautiful,
Fragile planet,
Facing climate challenges brought about by our activities.
All our explorations so far have failed to reveal any place in the universe so capable of sustaining life as we know it.
Unlike earlier generations,
We have seen the earth from outside,
And with that the possibility of recognising ourselves as one global community,
One global civilisation.
Looking down from the vantage point of space,
Our cameras have revealed our planet as one interconnected life support system,
Spaceship Earth as it's been described.
We have the opportunity of working together to create a paradise on earth,
And yet here we are,
Fighting amongst ourselves,
Harming each other and the planet,
And losing out on so many possibilities for happiness.
Here is a reflection along the lines of Rumi's poem.
It's adapted for our age of hard borders,
Hard borders which we pray will soften.
It's adapted for our age of rising walls,
Which we hope will be brought down without delay.
So Ancient Wisdom revisited.
Dear friend,
Remember your soul is a house built at a crossroads,
Not in a cul-de-sac.
At dawn the doorbell rings,
A family in life jackets.
The auto-response turned the boats back,
This place is already changing beyond recognition.
But wait,
Before habit closes the door,
Take time,
Take a breath,
Inhale.
Notice how the air itself is migrant,
Moving capsules of oxygen from tree to lung without discrimination,
No need for a receipt.
So how will you greet the life-giving air?
Will you refuse to receive it?
Take down the spare blankets,
Lay them on the floor,
Share the food,
You already have more than enough.
The tiny child is coughing,
But he is fighting strong.
Your carpet is clean and the toddler's broken shoes are wet and mucky.
But so were yours when you frolicked in the cold of winter.
One guest tells stories of crossing a desert by night,
Handing over life savings to a people smuggler,
Being bundled into a flimsy boat and being released on the mercy of a stormy sea.
Another guest sings an unknown hymn,
Prays an unfamiliar chant.
Realise that both are teachers,
One teaches us courage,
The other a reminder that,
Lucky for us,
We are not all alike,
Like peas in a pod.
It's time we celebrated unity in diversity.
And as for the neighbours who knock and protest that the city or the country is full,
Welcome them as well.
Introduce them to your new friends.
They both have stories that require a listening ear.
Hopefully,
When we listen,
We will learn that this world is big enough to provide for all of us.
I would like to end this reflection by leaving you with an old Irish saying.
Come in in the evening,
Come in in the morning,
Come when expected,
Come without warning.
Thousands of welcomes you'll find here before you.
May this continue to be so.
Namaste.
