“The oak fought the wind and was broken,
the willow bent when it must and survived”
― Robert Jordan
Die hele wêreld is vasgevang in ʼn greep van isolasie. Die Coronavirus het die ganse planeet in kwarantyn. Drastiese, en ingrypende veranderinge in ons dag tot dag se lewe het biljoene (met ʼn ‘b’) mense tot stilstand gedwing. Die laaste eeu, sedert die Industriële Rewolusie, pleit en waarsku, smeek en soebat Moeder Aarde ons om bewus te raak en meer bedag te wees van wat ons met mekaar en ons hulpbronne doen.
And here we are — (forced into) a time of consciousness, awareness, presence, awakening, and blessing …
yes, the Coronavirus has become our greatest teacher!
Al die veranderinge in ons dag-tot-dag lewe vra vir ʼn verskerping in ons verantwoordelikheid. Nou is nie ʼn tyd om oorweldig te word deur vrees nie. Draai die volume van veral Sosiale Media af, want dit teer op fake news. En onttrek jouself van diegene wat ʼn nuwe persoonlikheid vind in neurose en paranoia. Ons vat dié siekte BAIE ernstig op en soos gesê, ons doen dit met groot verantwoordelikheid.
Jy het seker ook hierdie WhatsApp van iemand ontvang, maar ek deel dit hier omdat dit ʼn kompas is na ons True North:
— LOCKDOWN —
Yes there is fear.
Yes there is isolation.
Yes there is panic buying.
Yes there is sickness.
Yes there is even death.
But,
They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise
You can hear the birds again.
They say that after just a few weeks of quiet
The sky is no longer thick with fumes
But blue and grey and clear.
They say that in the streets of Assisi
People are singing to each other
Across the empty squares,
Keeping their windows open
So that those who are alone
May hear the sounds of family around them.
They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland
Is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound.
Today a young woman I know
Is busy spreading fliers with her number
Through the neighbourhood
So that the elders may have someone to call on.
Today Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and Temples
Are preparing to welcome
And shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary
All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting
All over the world people are looking at their neighbours in a new way
All over the world people are waking up to a new reality
To how big we really are.
To how little control we really have.
To what really matters.
To Love.
So we pray and we remember that
Yes there is uncertainty.
But there does not have to be fear.
Yes there is isolation.
But there does not have to be loneliness.
Yes there is panic buying.
But there does not have to be meanness.
Yes there is sickness.
But there does not have to be disease of the soul
Yes there is even death.
But there can always be a rebirth of love.
Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now.
Today, breathe.
Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic
The birds are singing again
The sky is clearing,
Spring is coming,
And we are always encompassed by Love.
Open the windows of your soul
And though you may not be able
To touch across the empty square,
Sing.
— Author Richard Hendrick - Ireland
March 13th 2020
Dit bring ons by dié maand se tema — SOULMATES.
ʼn Sielsgenoot is iemand wat die teenwoordigheid van God wys en deel. Dit is iemand wat jou herinner aan jou Goddelike potensiaal en hoe God na jou kyk. Ons het reeds gesels oor die aspek van WHOLENESS — waar ons ʼn sielsgenoot is vir elkeen wat saam met ons reis of ons pad kruis. Laas Sondag het ons gesels oor TRUST — en dat vertroue gevind word in authenticity (om die waarheid van onsself vir onsself te kan sê en getrou aan daardie waarheid te leef), dat dit geanker is in logic (wat eerlik is met die werklikheid en nie verval in veralgemening van ALLES, ALMAL, en ALTYD nie), en dat vertroue gekweek, gekoester, en gekultiveer word in empathy (die vermoë om ʼn ander persoon te laat voel jy hoor en verstaan met begrip en empatie).
Eerskomende Sondag gaan oor — STAYING POWER — wat nie beteken ek ‘bly’ ten koste van myself, of dat ek ‘bly’ in ʼn verhouding wat onhigiënies (toxic) is vir my geestestoestand of my psigiese of fisiese welstand nie. As ons praat van ‘STAYING POWER’ dan praat ons van die vermoë om in die oomblik te leef. ‘In the Moment’ is waar ons nie langer meegesleur word tussen skuldgevoelens oor gister en vrees oor môre nie. Dit waarna Eckhart Tolle verwys in sy boek, THE POWER OF NOW (Kindle) (Takealot).
In die Ooste is ʼn filosofie wat bekend staan as Wu Wei — the principle of not forcing anything in life. Maak geen fout nie, Wu Wei is NIE passief nie. Dit beteken nie ‘laat Gods water oor Gods akker vloei’ en ons sit handjies gevou en kyk hoe die kosmiese komedie om ons ontvou nie. Wu Wei is the art of sailing rather than the art of rowing.
Daar is ʼn Zen gedig wat vertel van ganse wat oor ʼn meer vlieg en dan sê dit — “The wild geese do not intend to cast their reflection, and the water has no mind to retain their image.”
Kom ons praat Sondag oor STAYING POWER — and the art of knowing when to let it happen, when to let it be and when to let it go!
In ʼn tyd van Coronavirus en ʼn tyd van afsondering lê ʼn nuutgevonde STILTETYD waar ons weer die ou-bekende woorde onthou:
“Kyk na die wilde voëls: hulle saai nie en hulle oes nie en hulle maak nie in skure bymekaar nie; julle hemelse Vader sorg vir hulle. Is julle nie baie meer werd as hulle nie? Trouens, wie van julle kan deur hom te bekommer sy lewe met een enkele uur verleng? En wat bekommer julle jul oor klere? Let op hoe groei die veldlelies: hulle swoeg nie en hulle maak nie klere nie. Maar Ek sê vir julle: Selfs Salomo in al sy prag was nie geklee soos een van hulle nie.” — Matteus 6:26-29
Onthou dit. Deel dit. Leef dit. Terblanche is sedert September 2011 die geestelike leier van Neo-Spektrum.
Met liefde
.
.
Ons lees hierdie jaar die wonderlike boek
'Rising Strong' van Brené Brown
Stad: Maandag 23 Maart @ 19:30
Kolping: Donderdag 19 Maart @ 19:30