While reading excerpts from the Persian Sufi poet Hafiz last night at our Order’s meeting, this poem began to form in my mind during our space of silence towards the end:

God laughs at me.

Lord knows, he laughs at me a lot.

Have you ever watched an ant

Wander about scattered and confused

Searching for the scent of a trail he can only hope is there?

God lifts this ant up upon His finger

To get a closer look.

In a flash, God becomes a drop of honey

And this ant is drawn intrinsictly

To that Divine Nectar

And discovers the pure sweetness

Of His existence.

Amen.

The Lectionary reading for this Sunday (Proper 18, Year C) was Luke 14:25-33.

“Jesus turned to them and said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even life itself, cannot be my disciple…For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him…Or what king, going out to wage war aginst another king will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.'”

( Meditation on Luke )