We are mighty rivers (Sunday, October 23, 2011)

The important thing for rivers—
those in the world, and those within our souls—
is to keep on flowing.
We must not dam the torrents of anger we feel
in the face of the iniquities of this world.
We must not dam—or allow others to dam—
the flowing currents of our own creativity and wisdom.
That place where our own rivers meet
the great sea of life may be downstream yet—
perhaps more miles downstream than we really
want to think about—but that great sea whose name is Compassion
is there. And it is waiting for each of us to arrive.

We are not worthless creatures, bound to sin.
We are not but numbers in a ledger,
defined by our consumption; hypnotized into inaction
by the baubles and trappings of an age that is dying.
We are mighty rivers, each one of us.
We are flowing rivers—steadily, surely, cutting our own channel
through this oftentimes hard earth of selfishness and greed,
prejudice and fear.
We are rivers, flowing, refreshing again
the parched, dry ground of our times.
We are mighty rivers of constantly transforming,
living, breathing waters.
And we have come a long way from our Source;
and we still have far to go before we reach our sea.

jbs
6/9/91          5/29/05          10/23/11