Sunday, October 18, 2009

A hole in the being

This may be a prayer or a homily, rather than a poem - good for the dark days.


Work around your abyss

“There is a deep hole in your being, like an abyss.

You will never succeed in filling that hole,

because your needs are inexhaustible.

You have to work around it so that gradually the abyss closes.


“Since the hole is so enormous and your anguish so deep,

you will always be tempted to flee from it.


There are two extremes to avoid:

being completely absorbed in your pain

and being distracted by so many things

that you stay far away from the wound you want to heal.”



Henri Nouwen: The Inner Voice of Love