It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.
What is essential is invisible to the eye.
~Antoine de Sant Exupery~
Walking out the door, down the steps, and out to the car, I happened to glance unwittingly to an overgrown garden where I noticed patches of yellow on the ground. I stopped, attracted by the color, and walked over to get a closer look. There in front of me were the first flowers of Spring I'd seen. Small clumps of yellow crocus were growing up all around the evergreen bushes. The surprise of it touched my heart while I stopped in awe to give thanks and awaken to the wonder of this very special occurrence on this very ordinary April Day.
After a few meditative moments I crossed the street, got into my car and wondered how that brief experience had touched me. Before starting the car, I closed my eyes and pondered the essential nature of those flowers and how they had appeared and brought a new spark of life to me. I then remembered that I'd seen bees flying around the same area a few days earlier without much notice. In an epiphany moment, the whole invisible cycle of Nature became visible. The forgotten rhythm of Life had once again come to life in me.
Shakespeare noted that, "April hath put a spirit of youth in everything." While Einstein is reported to have said, "The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives." The world is full of wonder and magic which we invariably forget on our quests for accomplishment and acknowledgment. It's only when we slow down enough to give attention to our natural environments that we can see deeply into the heart of matter and recognize our interconnectedness with it all.
It takes time to see a flower and we seem not to have time. Having a friend and any significant relationship takes time but we haven't time. Time becomes an illusion we've created which is used to keep us from our Essence and the Essence of everything we say we care about. In the story of Alice in Wonderland, the rabbit is always looking at his watch saying how late he is for a very important date. The date however is always in the Now which he misses, because he's always on the run. Could the rabbit be a symbol for us?
When we open ourselves to look deeply into Nature, we begin to understand everything differently. We learn to slow down enough to ponder the snowfall, raindrops, clouds, buds on trees, flowers blowing in the breeze. We notice the migration of birds, the frowns on faces, the grace of embraces, the sadness in a song, the face that wants to belong, and the feelings that are invisible to the eye. We become more human by recognizing our divinity and that of the whole created order. We become part of it all when we realize there are no real borders.
Spring in April seems to come with a smile and a soft laughter that gently invites us into the wonder of all that is seen and unseen, known and unknown. As we stand at the many crossroads waiting for our rides, we're no longer frustrated at the moments that seem wasted. Instead, we listen for the calls of our youthful spirits that know how to see, wonder, and awaken in the moment. We listen to the rivers bringing new life to life, the earth singing to the moon, and the sun awakening seeds destined to mature very soon.
The first Art is Awe, when a person is struck by the beauty, wonder and intelligence of Creation. It becomes a spiritual experience that touches hearts and souls to register the interconnectivity that's always here but not always known. Each season invites the human family as a community and as individuals to awaken to the mystery and wonder of our Divine connection to Mother Earth, Father Sky, and one another. Through this awareness we see what is invisible to the eye.
Give attention to the environments you find yourself in this week. Ponder the mystery of how you are apart from them and how you are a part of them.
As you walk, drive, run, and move from place to place this week, notice how connected and disconnected you are from the environment within you and outside of you. Slow down from time to time and even stop to feel your surroundings, to become aware of your youthful spirit inviting you into awe and wonder.
See if you can validate the statement; 'what is essential is invisible to the eye'. Note your epiphanies and what is essential to your soulful self.
With awe and wonder,
Fr. Rick Meyers+