Holding the Light by Stuart Kestenbaum
Gather up whatever is
glittering in the gutter,
whatever has tumbled
in the waves or fallen
in flames out of the sky,
for it’s not only our
hearts that are broken,
but the heart
of the world as well.
Stitch it back together.
Make a place where
the day speaks to the night
and the earth speaks to the sky.
Whether we created God
or God created us
it all comes down to this:
In our imperfect world
we are meant to repair
and stitch together
what beauty there is, stitch it
with compassion and wire.
See how everything
we have made gathers
the light inside itself
and overflows? A blessing.
Kristi Nelson, an author and executive director of A Network for Grateful Living, succinctly sums up a reality we all struggle with and provides a simple but profound suggestion on how to deal with it, when she writes: Life is imperfect. People are imperfect. Love is the perfect response.
It is true that life has a way of throwing us off balance and we are all prone to making mistakes. But rather than giving up or giving in to frustration, we can choose to respond with an open and compassionate heart. When we do, the path to healing, mutual understanding and new opportunities opens up before our eyes.
Love can keep us connected even when we disagree. Love helps us to see that we too are imperfect just like everybody else. Genuine love can inoculate us against bitterness and cynicism; when our life feels like a burden, love can lighten the load and help us to see the possible in the impossible. The poet, Stuart Kestenbaum, captures this truth beautifully in his poem ‘Holding the Light’.
Meditation kindles the flame of love in our hearts, providing light, hope and direction, helping us to navigate our imperfect world. It helps us to pay attention to what is and to see how ultimately everything is already stitched together.
