In the monastic tradition, the highest form of sanctity is to live in hell and not lose hope… What is the delivery system for resilience? In part, it’s loving, caring adult who pays attention. It’s the community of unconditional love, representing the very “no matter whatness” of God. They say that an educated inmate will not re-offend. This is not because an education assures that this guy will get hired somewhere. It is because his view is larger and more educated, so that he can be rejected at ninety-three job interviews and still not give up. He’s acquired resilience.
Sometimes resilience arrives in the moment you discover your own unshakeable goodness. Poet Galway Kinnell writes, “sometimes it’s necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness.
And when that happens, we begin to foster tenderness for our own human predicament. A spacious and undefended heart finds room for everything you are and carves out space for everybody else.
– Fr. Gregory Boyle
This is a quote from a book called “Tattoos on the heart; The Power of Boundless Compassion”, by Gregory Boyle. He is a Catholic priest who founded Homeboy Industries,. You will want to look them up. Go get the book and give it as a gift to people you love. Of course you don’t want to “should on” anyone, but really it is a gift to read it.
The next Daily Bread Yoga retreat is called Embodying Advent. Yes, Advent, as in the 4 weeks of waiting, longing, hoping, and imploring the light of God to break through the darkness (and the four weeks before Christmas). Advent is about the kind of resilient hope that is grown out of heartache, disappointment, grief. It’s that hope you hold so deep in your heart that you can hardly talk about it without feeling like your heart is on a ledge. Advent is waiting in hopeful expectation. Waiting with that fierce kind of hope that is within all of us, if we take the risk of letting ourselves feel it.
The Embodying Advent yoga retreat is Saturday, November 29th, 9a.m.-noon at Philo Presbyterian Church. It’s going to be a great morning and an even better Advent. Come. Bring your family in town for Thanksgiving. While this will not be “intro to yoga” it will be beginner friendly. If you haven’t done yoga before – go to the library or Target and find a beginner or gentle yoga dvd and watch it a few times. You’ll be set. No worries. The cost is $20, to be paid that morning. Bring a bottle of water and a mat, if you have one, or let me know and I’ll bring one for you to borrow.
And let me know you are coming so I can look forward to seeing you!
Peace on your fine head,
Rachel
