vitalwholeness

I used to think life was long, but know I know it is short

I used to think I might change the world, but now I hope the world doesn’t change me

I used to think that everything was in the plan, but now I try to fly with less of one

I used to think that the outside was the measure of success, but now I know the outside illusion

I used to think that rational mind could take us anywhere, but now I know its poverty absent spirit

I used to think that time doing nothing was wasteful, but now I know that doing nothing accepts our creaturehood

I used to think that love was a choice, but now I know that it is a surging sea with its own rules

I used to think we could organize peace, but now I know that peace is a gift received and shared

I used to divide life into material and spiritual, but now I know that spiritual is in the material

I used to think it was my responsibility to turn others to God, but now I know the harder path of loving them

I used to think that criticism by others was about me, but now I know that it is always and only about them

I used to think that loving people meant rescuing them, but now I know that loving them is helping them to be free of all rescuing

I used to think that this slice of civilization is somehow special, but now I know it simply takes its place in the long sludge of history

I used to think that prayer was a sending a message from one to another, and now I know it is simply being with the other

I used to think that people were getting better every day, but now I know that the darkness of human nature continues to persist

I used to think that we should only appeal to the highest motives of people, but now I know we are moved by many motives

I used to think that the church was holy by virtue of its own nature, but now I know it is holy only by virtue of what it points to

I used to think that we could trust individual virtue to protect us from social sin, but now I know that we must protect ourselves from ourselves when it comes to greed and power

I used to trust explanations from those in power, but now I know them all to be self-serving, an attempt to create an illusion

I used to think that helping people meant providing for them what they did not have, but now I know that provision comes from God and I may help remove obstacles to its flow to all people

I used to think that creativity was employing a technical skill set, but now I know that it arises as an inner vision that employs a skill set

I used to think I could make a list and capture all important things on it, but now I know that any list, especially mine, is incomplete, filled and completed only by a communion of saints, living and dead