December 2009

Let Us Be That Stable

Today, let us be that stable,
let us be the place
that welcomes at last
the weary and rejected,
the pilgrim stranger,
the coming life.
Let not the frigid winds that pierce
our inadequate walls,
or our mildewed hay,
or the fetid leavings of our cattle
shame us from our beckoning.
Let our outstretched arms
be a manger
so that the infant hope,
swaddled in love,
may have a place to lie.
Let a cold beacon
shine down upon us
from a solstice sky
to guide to us
the seekers who will come.
Let the lowly shepherd
and all who abide
in the fields of their labors
lay down their crooks
and come to us.
Let the seers, sages, and potentates
of every land
traverse the shifting dunes,
the rushing rivers,
and the stony crags
to seek our rude frame.
Let herdsmen and high lords
kneel together
under our thatched roof
to lay their gifts
before Wonder.
Today, let us be that stable.

By Patrick Murfin, from his meditation manual We Build Temples in the Heart. Published by Skinner House in 2004, this book is available from the CLF library or through the UUA Bookstore or 1-800-215-9076.

< BACK TO QUEST

Last updated November 23, 2009