Simple rules

“… imagine the human family as a stand of aspens growing by a river. Though each tree appears to be growing independently, not attached to the others, beneath the soil, out of view, the roots of all the trees exist as one enormous root. And so, like these trees, our soul’s growth, while appearing to be independent, is intimately connected to the health of those around us. For our spirits are entwined at center, out of view. 

Once realizing this, it becomes clear that we have no choice but to embrace the health of our neighbors as part of our own health… I know these things to be true: in cutting off strangers, we cut off ourselves; in choking roots, we choke our own growth; in loving strangers, we love ourselves. 

… In deep and lasting ways, when we heal ourselves, we heal the world. For as the body is only as healthy as its individual cells, the world is only as healthy as its individual souls.”

~ Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening

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Take the time to feed your soul today.

Take the time to love louder.

“It always surprises people that there are very few sayings or stories found uniformly in all four gospels… 

This is one:

‘Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.’

… Jesus is saying there is a moral equivalence between you, your neighbor, the Christ, and God!

This is an amazing chain of being that is not evident to the casual seer. This new ontology–this new way of shaping reality–is the core and foundation of the entire Christian revelation and revolution. 

This is meant to utterly reshape our understanding of who God is and where God is.

Of who we are and where we are.

Will you allow it?”

~ Richard Rohr, The Divine Dance