Rumi says that Ramadan is a time when, by emptying our bellies, we open up a path to spirit.
Tag Archives: Rumi
Drought Is a Form of God’s Joy
If we look at a drought through God’s eyes, Rumi tells us, we will see green corn. The same holds for relationships.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "The Man Who Laughs During a Drought", Spirituality, T. S. Eliot, Wasteland Comments closed
A Knowledge Born of Suffering
Rumi’s poem “The Lame Goat” has offered solace to those suffering from physical and emotional setbacks.
A Temple Built of Compassionate Action
In “The Far Mosque,” Rumi reminds us that we are princes in waiting who will step into our spiritual kingdom through compassionate action.
The Powerful Urge for Freedom
I am in awe of the protesters in Tunisia and Bahrain and Egypt and Libya and Iran and Yemen and the Sudan and elsewhere in the Middle East. Their yearning for freedom is so great that, day after day, they put their lives on the line. I pray particularly for those in Libya and […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Jami's the Camel Driver's Song", Middle East, politics, Revolutions Comments closed
Moving beyond August Madness
Alexander Pope, taking his cue from the Roman poet Juvenal, knew what a crazy month August could be. In The Dunciad the end of civilization occurs in August, coinciding with the rise of the “dog star” Sirius: Now flam’d the Dog Star’s unpropitious ray, Smote ev’ry brain, and wither’d every bay [poet]; Sick was the […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Spring", "Strange Gathering", Christianity, Cordoba Institute, Islam, politics, Religion Comments closed
The Holiness of Ramadan Fasting
A Ramadan poem by Rumi.
When It’s Hard to Pray
Spiritual Sunday I’ve been thinking about why it’s sometimes hard to pray for help. Perhaps it’s because asking for help seems an affront to our prideful self sufficiency. Perhaps it’s because we fear that we are not worthy to receive it. I think of how Coleridge’s ancient mariner is so filled with self-loathing that he […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Ground's Generosity", Earnest Hemingway, In Our Time, Prayer, Religion, Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge Comments closed
Rumi’s Poetry and Weddings
Rumi Rumi seems to be everywhere these days and has been for a while. This past weekend I was at the wedding of Micah Vote, the son of a family friend, and a Rumi poem served as the foundation of the ceremony. Here it is: May these vows and this marriage be blessed. May it […]
