The Wind of Life
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David Berry, 2002
acrylic on masonite, 32" x 48"
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Like the wind, the overwhelming magnificence of God is usually invisible to us. It is the actions on things that make the wind and God visible to us. The wind, the ocean and sky are all part of the same grand natural system in which we travel as a speck in the ocean, often only aware of the deck beneath our feet and the belief in our own skill as a sailor.
The wind of life is God’s Grace. Just as the shape of the wind is only seen in the curve of the sails, the Grace of God is most tangibly visible in its effect in the world around us. Even then, we only see the smallest hint of the endless and infinite. Like the sailor on the ocean, we may work in concert with the wind. While passengers may marvel at how much power is at the mercy of the pilot's whim, his harmony with the elements is practically an adversarial struggle as he tries to read the signs, catch the breeze and ultimately find a destination.
We try to see the most pleasurable aspects of the world as part of God’s Grace. What is not beautiful we may try to credit to other sources, but the beauty of the world is not in its pretty niceties, rather it is in its wholeness. Yet, perhaps the greatest evidence of God’s Grace is the grace we find within ourselves, the calm of wisdom and faith that holds true even in the most extreme of joy or challenge.
Living with God's Grace
To be on land and to feel the wind as a casual force is not to know it's power and absolute nature. To sit beside the warm fire in a sturdy house on the coldest and blustery of nights we can embrace the illusion of our seemingly superior control over the natural world; particularly if we are not careful to properly credit the blessing of our own ingenuity. Similarly, those who chose not to consciously have a spiritual direction in their life can only see God’s Grace in a casual way. They see the pretty things and ignore the strength and power unless it moves their world in unexpected ways.
For those who submerse themselves in God’s Grace, using it to lead their way, there is a great struggle. But, the reward of such a life is the adventure of blessings and beauty that can never be seen by those that take shelter with faith only in their own egos. Those that try to harness the Grace of God to guide their lives place themselves in unknown waters more frequently. They are the ones who live by their heart, and not by the caution and ignorance of self-interest. To ignore God’s Grace is to claim that grace for one’s self, and when unusual winds raise up the sea, the unprepared can be left bewildered or overwhelmed -- whether events seem fortuitous or arduous.
We should all be a sailor by God’s Grace, at least from time to time, to keep us ever aware of The Wind of Life.
Conjouring Miracles
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Meher Baba Collection Index
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The Shadow of Religion
