The heart fills with fresh, bright breath
And thoughts stir to give birth to colour.
II.
I arise today
In the name of Silence
Womb of the Word,
In the name of Stillness
Home of Belonging,
In the name of the Solitude
Of the Soul and the Earth.
I arise today
Blessed by all things,
Wings of breath,
Delight of eyes,
Wonder of whisper,
Intimacy of touch,
Eternity of soul,
Urgency of thought,
Miracle of health,
Embrace of God.
May I live this day
Compassionate of heart,
Gentle in word,
Gracious in awareness,
Courageous in thought,
Generous in love.
Contents
Epigraph
Acknowledgments
Prologue
1. Awakening in the World: The Threshold of Belonging
The Belonging of the Earth
Belonging: The Wisdom of Rhythm
Why Do We Need to Belong
Restless and Lonesome
The Voices of Longing
The Feeling That Something Is Missing
Our Longing to Be Loved
Soul: The Beauty of the Broken Circle
Our Longing for Nature
The Sanctuary of a Favourite Place
The Longing of the Earth
Our Longing to Know
Discovery Is the Nature of the Soul
Life as a Pilgrimage of Discovery
The First Journey Creates the Traveller
Imagining the Time Before Coming Here
The Invisible World Is All Around Us
Forms of the Invisible
The Mystery of Resemblance
Home as the Cradle of Destiny
The Family as Nest of Belonging
Home Is Where You Belong
Childhood as a Magic Forest
The Belonging of Childhood
Innocence Keeps Mystery Playful
The Longing of Childhood Is Akin to Dream
Childhood’s Dark Innocence
The Red Bush of Ancestry
Parents as Memory Holders
Styles of Belonging
The Native
The Visitor
The Neighbour
The Wanderer
The Stranger
A Blessing
2. Presence: The Flame of Longing
To Realize That You Are Here
Presence Is Soul-Atmosphere
Music as Presence
The Silence of Sculpture
The Sanctuary of Human Presence
The Witness of Hands
Styles of Presence: The Encouraging Presence Helps You to Awaken Your Gift
The Blurred Presence
The Angry Presence
The Charismatic Presence
The Anxious Presence
Dignity of Presence
The Architecture of Belonging
In the Heart, the Ache of Longing
Celebration: When the Moment Blossoms
Functionalism Kills Presence
Without Reverence There Is No Sense of Presence
The Ascetical Presence: The Wisdom to Subtract from The Feast
We Cannot Live Without the Infinite
The Blessings of Desire
To Keep the Contours of Choice Porous
“Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing.”
Great Choices Need the Shelter of Blessing
To Be Faithful to Your Longing
The Addiction of Distraction
Irony and Recognition
Longing Keeps Your Sense of Life Kindled
Each Person Incarnates Longing
To Find Your True Home Within Your Life
The Eros of Thought
Our Longing Is an Echo of the Divine Longing
A Blessing
3. Prisons We Choose to Live In
The Beauty of Wild Distance
The House Keeps the Universe Out
Our Fear of Freedom: The Refuge of False Belonging
The Cage of Frightened Identity
