Devoted to Truth

~ Surrounded By the paradox ~ Of life I devoted myself ~ To seeking Truth ~ My soul In the centre ~ Of contradiction Gradually ~ Transcending The conflict of opposition ~ I discovered God’s presence ~ New meaning Through relationship ~ With every Breath. ~

Wrestle With Angels

. There are the unseen Battles within   Whose immeasurable Participants . Wrestle With angels. . Delacroix - Jacob's Fight with the Angel

Inspiring Paintings: Leaving and Finding a Father

~ One father curses another blesses ~ While onlookers stare and the bishop turns away ~ And finally What is this all about? ~ Even heaven And earth. ~ In this dramatic painting by Giotto,  Francis has taken off all his clothes and is appealing to God.  His earthly father (on the left), who demanded …

The Subtleties of the Spiritual Life

If you look carefully in the background of the painting, you will see men in colourful clothes with coloured hats. The might represent the religious establishment who were in conflict first about the mission of both John the Baptist and then about Jesus. This poem focuses on them... . There will always be Our opponents …

Spiritual Reflection: to Nurture, Enjoy and Grow

To Nurture To nurture means to love for the long-term benefit of someone else. Nurturing another can involve conflict sometimes – for example if someone has a short-sighted view of what is good for them, we may need to offer a different perspective if we can see that their current choices are actually damaging.  Likewise, …

Spiritual Reflection: Live a New Life – The Great Trial of Spirituality

To live a spiritual life is to live a new life.  We are not born naturally into this new life.  It must be learned gradually. For me, it is a kind of experiment, and a kind of trial (even after over twenty five years since I started consciously trying to live spiritually). And that word …

The Spiritualities of Christianity – Spiritual Conflict

Bosch, 'The Temptation of St. Anthony" Spirituality can be about silence, inner peace and universal love.  But it can also be about conflict: temptations, trials, doubts, pain and death. Bosch’s painting “The Temptations of St. Anthony” (above)explores this well.  St. Anthony is actually alone in the desert, praying.  But he is not alone.  His world …

Powers of the Mind

  The conflict is within -   Not with enemies visible   But with the incredible   Powers of the mind -   And what progress   Does the spirit ever make   Invisibly to peace?  

First, Then, and Now

First the paradise   Where all could contemplate   God's inmost light -   Then the loss   And the hiding from God's sight -   Now the search,   The striving, and the inward fight.