Parker Palmer, the great educator and philosopher writes about Thomas Merton’s statement: “..there is in all things…a hidden wholeness…”* And he goes on to quote Mary Oliver, the poet: “This is the first, wildest, and wisest thing I know…that the soul exists, and that it is built entirely out of attentiveness.”
In our tradition, the Kabbalists and Hasidic masters believed the same: within every thing is a hidden spark. It’s our job to find what is concealed, and expose the light. The way we do this is by paying attention. To our own souls, to the glimmer of light in each other’s eyes, to all that begs to be lifted up and seen. Uncovering hidden meanings in our sacred texts. The task of a lifetime.
*Parker Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness, The Journey Toward an Undivided Life. Jossey-Bass. 2004.
Beautifully expressed Jill!
thank you dear Laura —