xviii. Signs and Wonders - Emptiness

Emptiness
c.1200, from Old English at leisure, not occupied, unmarried.
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
St. John 6. 1-15
he knew what he meant to do
that bright windy afternoon
with clouds blown
like light scrim curtains
although afterwards
they would all have problems
they looked at nothing
with the same view
but were learning
and this would crawl
at the bottom of their minds
for a long time
he scanned the sky
and said nothing
and then he fed them
all
what would remain a problem
always
would be how he fed them
not why
there on the dark grass
not hungry but empty
and that is always so much more
difficult
to satisfy
Jeff Guess

Reflection:
Emptiness is a key concept in Buddhist philosophy. It is the supreme mantra. The Buddhist creed of emptiness ends with the words ‘Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone altogether beyond, O what an awakening, all-hail!’ Spiritual emptiness is to have an open mind and an open heart and an open self. Too often we live our lives at the expense of this. We should take notice of Samuel Beckett’s words ‘Nothing to be done’. Writing poetry I know, the poem has always at its core an emptiness, a hollowness that defies explanations and criticism and shares much in common with the spiritual and religious life.

Reading: St. John 21: 1-12
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”
Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” NIV
Prayer:
Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
Augustus M. Toplady 1776

©Jeff Guess 2017