An opening meditation and closing prayer used at the Bexhill Julian Meeting.
The language of prayer, as with all forms of communication, is deeper than just words; it is layered with meaning. It is the language of love, of the heart. When I speak to someone who is dear to me it’s not necessarily what they are saying that I love, it’s that I love the fact that they want to say it to me. In a loving relationship there are underlying depths, of joy, love, a harmony of heart and mind.
When we come to God with all our neediness, hopes and aspirations there is a resonance beyond dialogue. When we surrender into stillness and silence it is as if God would say ‘I’m so glad you are here’ and we would respond ‘I’m so glad I am here’.
Such love is contingent on nothing, we are fully known and yet fully loved not just with, but for all our imperfections because they drive us to God. Such a love reaches beyond actions or words, it is much more an affair of the heart which longs to know and be known.
Over time there is a sense in which we become the prayer, the lived understanding that we are accepted as we are which frees us to accept others as they are. This communion is how we come to know oneness both with God and with all of creation. With continued practice the awareness of this wordless communion remains with us beyond our times of quiet reflection and we can draw on the inner peace throughout our day. It becomes to us, an endless resource in times of both joy and tribulation.
Closing prayer:
May rivers of peace, harmony, security, equality and freedom flow to all humanity. May your sacred light dispel all spiritual darkness and ignorance. And may harmony between spirit, mind and body found by the one, extend to the many. Water the seeds of peace among nations, and spiritual awakening to the people of the world. Amen
JM Meditation 20 August 2024. Text and Photo © K Marsh ( Bexhill meeting) Photo of statue at Herstmonceux Castle close to the Village of Herstmonceux in East Sussex