Last night some of us gathered on Exeter Cathedral Green lit candles placed them on the spiral, sang and played some music and talked and spoke.
In the early hours of this-morning I wrote this:
And the greatest
of these
is love
Such an outpouring of love graced and blessed the Cathedral Green last night. Not just the usual chit chat and unawareness that usually happens when people step on the green but, with love from the bottom of their hearts and a deep wish of compassion in each step and for the very ground, Earth, grass, trees and the whole planet.
And in each step deep deep wish for the ending of anger and fear. And the symbolic lighting of many small candles from the lighting of one candle, a growing spiral of light was created one by one, by some, though very few, who came from the nearby Occupy, many who came from in and around Exeter and some just passing by.
This was a deep act of love, compassion and hope, done with deep deep respect for the land, for all those who lay buried beneath the party green park that now surrounds the Cathedral, and to and for the Earth and all the beings who inhabit this beautiful beautiful planet which contains such balance, even on this the darkest longest night there is also, at the same time the shortest night and brightest longest day happening.
And so, here we were and here I was walking on the land, noticing and knowing that within me, and seeing and hearing in the voices words and gestures of those around, also had both love and compassion & anger and fear.
And there it was, alive and real and raw in the conversation afterwards, and around the edges during the spiral which reflected that in me, by the young people there, older people there, the passers-by there, the people there who came in from miles away, and those whose front doors entered onto this bit of land.
And there, in the dark of the longest night and in the flickering lights of the candles and the bright harsh light of the streetlights, we wrestled and clumsily – respectfully and disk respectfully – discussed, debated and argued… Should such an act, should such an act of love and compassion and hope and fear be allowed on this place, this bit of land, but the fiery fiery core of the Earth deep beneath our feet, and the twinkling of the far distant stars – should that be allowed… Right there… or… Was it deeply disrespectful?
Both use and all and in between were held. And we grappled with THE question of our times… Can we hold such difference of belief and such difference and wishes for different behaviours and STILL have love and compassion in our hearts and in our words and in the resonance of the sound and qualities in our voices. Can we allow ourselves to see and hear and feel the anger, fear, judgement and blame and hold kindly in our hearts and accept ourselves and each other in this.
And…
The greatest is love…
As I finish writing this in the early hours of the morning, at the turning of the year, my wish is that any benefit that took place from having done that or that will happen in the future from having done that will be of benefit to the planet we stand on and all beings.
And
the greatest of these
is love the greatest,
of
these
is
love
