In the Silence
A picture I hold in my soul comes from walking out of a silent church after my baptism as a young adult. It was December in Connecticut and a gentle snow was falling. There was a quality of silence that flooded my whole being with its intensity. I had been baptized into a new relationship with Christ, with the church, with my god-parents and with the world. In that moment I knew: ‘All is One’!
Last night that experience was echoed as I sat in the silence of Eremos, illumined by the gentle light of a candle. Like my personal baptism of so many years ago, I felt Eremos had been baptized by the generosity of so many in the community who participated in the Amplify Austin/Amplify Eremos fundraiser blessing us with their generous love.
A few hours earlier, there had been a flurry messages indicating people were donating to Eremos. Knowing so much about different people’s ability to donate, there was an overflow of gratitude and awe with the generosity of so many. Tea candles lit for each person who donated, phone calls made to remind family and friends of the opportunity to support Eremos in this unique way. It was indeed busy! And later, as I sat enfolded in the silence I could feel the waters of baptism flowing over Eremos. We too are being blessed to stand in relationship with the Beloved and world in a new way.
The mission of Eremos is to ‘invite persons to step back from the busyness of life to behold the Beloved within all of life”. In the silence of last night, I heard that message anew. In beholding we are held and in being held we are able to be what we behold.
It is the message of a Love that calls us to love beyond ourselves, beyond words and gestures, beyond shadows and busyness. It is a baptism of Spirit that says “Behold the Beloved, Be Held by the Beloved, Be the Beloved for our world”! We can only truly love because we are beloved. Silence knows this truth, embraces this truth and invites each of us to step back from busyness and step into an intense communion of Love.
May this be the gift Eremos shares with the world as an overflow of her baptism! May it be a truth our lives proclaim through our daily lives of loving. And may the world know the Love we hold for the world because it too is beloved!
