Letter from Jenny

Everything you see has its roots
in the unseen world.
The forms may change,
yet the essence remains the same.

Every wondrous sight will vanish,
every sweet word will fade.
But do not be disheartened,
The Source they come from is eternal–
growing, branching out,
giving new life and new joy.

Why do you weep?
That Source is within you,
and this whole world
is springing up from it.

~ Rumi

Dear Springhouse community,

I have spent much of the past two weeks alone—by the river, with the forest and the moon, and with my soul. I have been contemplating my relationship with the Source that the Sufi poet Rumi speaks of, while also reviewing old letters, photos, and stories from the past twelve years at Springhouse. Much like the leafless trees around me, this time has revealed much. 

The Source—or mystery of life—that Rumi and many wisdom traditions point to has been central to my life and vocation for thirty-five years. In the mid 1990s, when I was living with cancer, a dear mentor gave me a book by St. Teresa of Avila, who came to know the Source of her life through devastating illness. Over the past two weeks, I have returned to her book The Interior Castle and to her central teaching that the greatest adventure in life is the one we take within. This inward journey is not for the faint of heart—and it is worth every step.

It is not easy to speak about this Source—something I have experienced, known, and come to trust more than anything. All wisdom traditions point toward this mystery, and none will ever fully define it. I respect its vastness and trust the many paths that lead toward it. For me, story is the most honest way forward. Story allows me to point toward something I will never fully understand in this lifetime...