Sunday, December 25, 2011

All Things in Peace and Silence – Lawrence

All things were lying in peace and silence, and night in her swift course was half spent, when thy almighty Word leapt from thy royal throne in heaven.
Wisdom of Solomon 18: 14, 15
Meister Eckhart, in his Sermon 101, cites this passage and claims that the eternal Word from the Father is new born in time, in human nature.
[Eckhart is quoted in Bernard McGinn’s book, The Mystical Thought of Meister Eckhart. Pgs. 55/56]

When all things were in the medium, in silence, then there descended down into me from on high, from the royal throne, a hidden Word in the ground. The birth of the Word takes place, Eckhart says, in the purest thing that the soul is capable of, in the noblest part, the ground, indeed, in the very essence of the soul’s most secret part, its silent middle.

So in each one of us the Word, the Christ, is born. When we are open in silence to God’s almighty Word, Christ is born in our soul’s centre. This is not only possible on Christmas Day when we celebrate the birth of Christ on the earth but at any time when we wait in silence for God’s coming to be born in our soul.
© Judith Lawrence December 2011 

Still Centre

Return to the still centre,
Wait in patience for him who comes.
Clear the brambles from the pathway,
Open wide the gate in welcome
For him who comes to you.
Welcome him who comes
To your still centre,
Blessed Triune God.
© Judith Lawrence

2 comments:

Peter Black said...

Thank you for this quieting, centering meditation, Judith.
Very interesting and arresting reflections from Meister Eckhart.
Lovely poem, too.
I am reminded of John chapter one regarding the eternal Word and the Word made flesh (v14), and also verse 9, which, speaking of the Word, says that He is: "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." :)

Judith Lawrence said...

Thank you, Peter.
May God bless you.

Popular Posts