Let There Be Light

I read a blog called 'Spiritual Travels.' It combines several things that I'm interested in: spirituality, travel and history. This week Lori, the blog's author, published a post on light using a poem by Hafiz to beautifully illustrate her subject. Light resonated in me as during the past week, I traveled to Provence and experienced light in various ways. Most notably, here in the Abbaye Notre Dame de Senanque monastery where light was used to not only illuminate the monks' living quarters, but also to cast a spiritual light on elements of worship within the ancient church itself. Narrow on the outside, these many windows lining the walls on both sides of the monks' dormitory are splayed outward on the  inside to catch and diffuse as much light as possible. Hear what Hafiz says about light...

GOD POURS LIGHT

God
pours light
into every cup,
quenching darkness.

The proudly pious
stuff their cups with parchment
and critique the taste of ink

while God pours light

and the trees lift their limbs
without worry of redemption,
every blossom a chalice.

Hafiz, seduce those withered souls
with words that wet their parched lips

as light
pours like rain
into every empty cup
set adrift on the Infinite Ocean.

~ Hafiz ~

(Interpretive version of Ghazal 11 by Jose Orez

 Lori's post and Hafiz's poem remind me to open and let God pour His light into me. Even small cracks and narrow openings will flood my soul and bathe me in God's lovely light.

For more photos and information about this Cistercian monastery, click here to go to Melanged Magic.