A weekly curated collection of essays, poetry, and reflections for your spiritual journey. From The Wisdom Years.
We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and learn what is good for it.
– Wendell Berry
This week:
- The Great Wisdom of Autumn
- The Case for the Porch
- Compassion as Steadfast Love
- The Unbearable Beauty of Grandparenting
- Acceptance, Gratitude, and Peace
The Great Wisdom of Autumn
“Living brightly and then letting go at the right moment” . . . that is the wisdom Christine Valters Paintner takes from the arrival of autumn. It is a season of release and moving into stillness.
Found in Patheos.
The Case for the Porch
A porch is a jumping off point for both reverie and action, says Charlie Hailey. “Just as it tells stories of joy and urgency—a bright patch of blue sky alongside the undeniable change of climate.”
Found in Daily Good.
Compassion as Steadfast Love
Graciousness, courtesy, compassion – these are part of what we mean by “hesed,” God’s steadfast love. This love is from everlasting to everlasting, and we are to show the same to our neighbors.
Read the reflection by Richard Rohr.
Found at Center for Action and Contemplation Daily Meditation.
The Unbearable Beauty of – Grandparenting
Writer Courtney Martin offers stories from one of her favorite professors – now in his 80s – on the exquisite bond between grandparents and grandchildren. “I’m blessed by what I don’t understand,” says Dennis Dalton, “yet I know that it’s a beautiful blessing.”
From The Examined Family.
Acceptance, Gratitude, and Peace
We can choose to live in the past and obsess over losses and mistakes; we can choose to live in the future and the unknowing it brings; or we can choose to live in the now, giving thanks for each moment that comes to us.
Read the reflection from Joanna Seibert.
Found in Joanna Seibert’s Daily Something.
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