Monday, March 21, 2011

On, In, and Around Mondays: One Name for God

Floral Tea

"You see? That's a little bit of God."

I used to walk my children around the yard and say these kinds of things, pointing to some iridescent petal, or offering a a blade of grass to touch.

Today I was reading about the Gothic builders, who believed that the physical stuff of our world somehow reaches to the Divine. It is why they built as the built. Soaring cathedrals filled with light.

There is no cathedral here. But there is beauty. And this is what the medieval mind equated with God. Indeed, one philosopher of the time claimed that beauty was the only name for God.

As a poet, I see how other words can stand in for the word beauty, just as beauty stood in for God, in the medieval mind.

I look into my teacup, and say blossom-tea, and think of God unfolding into sweet water (thank you, Susan, for suspecting I would find this tea beautiful. I do.) I look outside my back door and say, moss-soft-and-life-green, and think of God.

Roses on the counter. Daughter turning pages. Piano, guitar, flute, waiting in the golden-sunset room. Plum candles. Japanese bowls. Forsythia swelling near my window.

Dostoevsky said that beauty would save the world. This morning, as I say its names, beauty is saving me.


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On, In and Around Mondays (which partly means you can post any day and still add a link) is an invitation to write from where you are. Tell us what is on, in, around (over, under, near, by...) you. Feel free to write any which way... compose a tight poem or just ramble for a few paragraphs. But we should feel a sense of place. Would you like to try? Write something 'in place' and add your link below.

If you could kindly link back here when you post, it will create a central meeting place. :)

On In Around button




This post is also shared with Laura Boggess, for...



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17 Comments:

Blogger Louise Gallagher said...

What a beautiful post.

I feel God's breath whispering "Love is all around".

Thank you.

8:41 AM  
Blogger Maureen said...

self: giving in words
colored in springtime pastels
behold their beauty

10:05 AM  
Blogger Kim said...

Little bits of God are everywhere...Love it. I'm blessed to see His Spirit reflecting in my son, David. Things are shifting...

10:06 AM  
Anonymous Kathleen@so much to say said...

I love that. If only we were really able to live in awareness, how differently might we look at the world?

10:59 AM  
Blogger Jeanne Damoff said...

Your photo of springtime in a teacup and a look at the world through your eyes. Lovely, L.L. Thank you.

11:19 AM  
Blogger Jennifer @ JenniferDukesLee.com said...

I want to walk around today saying:

"You see? That's a little bit of God."

You've done that for me today, pointing me to bits and bushels of God.

11:50 AM  
Blogger Laura said...

Beauty saves my world every day. Maybe it's just me, but I think I go a little insane without it. And see? you just saved my sanity for this day. :)

12:12 PM  
Anonymous JoDee Luna said...

This post inspired me to slow down and look for God's beauty in the little things my type A personality often misses. You reminded me to savor the expressions of God's presence that exist all around me.

4:32 PM  
Anonymous Sandra Heska King said...

Little bits of God everywhere.

Love how you name beauty.

I love my flowering tea.

6:35 PM  
Blogger Linda said...

I thought of Ann as I read this and found your words filled with beauty and gratitude L.L.

6:40 PM  
Anonymous kingfisher said...

It's wonderful that so many people are willing to look for the beauty of God everywhere, and spell-binding that God has made so many beautiful, intriguing, intricate, fancy-or-plain wonderful things to uplift our hearts and remind us not only how beautiful HE is, but how he's made our world just full of himself, through our seeing beauty.

My link to "On Mondays" is in.

9:31 PM  
Blogger Misha said...

So amazing - I am writing a series on beauty this week and then to stop by here and read your words gave me a lump in my throat. I so agree and so ache with that same ache I think Dostoevsky wrote from.

Little bits of God in us and around us - beautiful. How can we not also reach?

11:27 PM  
Blogger Deidra said...

Yes indeed. You inspired me! :)

5:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

LL - I am late here, but your words have brought beauty into my day. I love the Dostoevsky quote. I believe he is right. Today, I will look for the beauty around me and choose to see the face of God there.

6:17 AM  
Blogger H. Gillham said...

Every time I read what you write, I think of what an amazing writer you are -- and why you are a poet.

Poets choose words wisely -- and you are you wasteful.

:)

8:57 AM  
Blogger Eve said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

10:50 AM  
Blogger Eve said...

Ooh, you're right LL, that tea is so beautiful.

10:52 AM  

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