Welcome to this month’s Abbey Photo Party!
I select a theme and invite you to respond with images.
We began this month with a Community Lectio Divina practice with wisdom from St. Brigid. As I prayed with this passage, I was moved by how essential Brigid considers the role of companions on the journey. She urges us to make finding those with whom we can share a deep kinship of the heart’s longings.
With our overall theme of the year at the Abbey as discernment, I love the idea of listening for how we might build a soulful community to support us in living as a monk in the world (which also reflects the third principle of the Monk Manifesto).
I invite you for this month’s Photo Party to play with this idea as you go out in the world to receive images in response. As you walk hold this image of soul friend and be ready to see what is revealed to you.
You can share images you already have which illuminate the theme, but I encourage you also to go for a walk with the theme in mind and see what you discover.
You are also welcome to post photos of any other art you create inspired by the theme. See what stirs your imagination!
How to participate:
You can post your photo either in the comment section below* (there is now an option to upload a file with your comment) or you can join our Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks Facebook group and post there. Feel free to share a few words about the process of receiving this image and how it speaks of the “Soul Friend” for you.
*Note: If this is your first time posting, or includes a link, your comment will need to be moderated before it appears. This is to prevent spam and should be approved within 24 hours.
27 Responses
This past Wednesday I lost my soul friend of 10 years. Her name was Simba and I have always thought of her as my soul puppy. Simba and I have hiked many a mile together…her running ahead and me always dawdling along taking photos. About 2 years ago she tore a tendon in her knee and slowly lost her ability to move around. Finally, the pain became too great and it was time to send her to her rest. My heart has been filled with sorrow and joy simultaneously – sorrow because she is gone, and joy because she I had the honor of sharing her life with her. Yesterday I took solace the best way I know how which is through photography. I headed out with no destination in mind other than wherever I ended up and finally found myself at the end of the day in the cemetery where hundreds of deer were wandering amidst the stones keeping watch. I realized as the sun began to set that like the setting sun, life never really disappears; it just slips below the horizon. Then I saw this beautiful doe silhouetted amongst the stones. It was such a gift and such a comfort; it was as though my soul friend was reassuring me that she is happy and waiting patiently for me to be with her again someday.
Yourhoto is stunning as are the heartfelt words you wrote. I
I’m drawn to your words of “life never really disappears”. Thank you.
So many people touch our lives during the course of our life’s journey. While it might seem cliche to say “my husband” is my soul friend, in my case this is the case. Bill and I have been married a little over 3 years. We met accidently before we both went through divorce. Our path crossed again after our divorces. We connected at a level I never experienced before. We became encouragement to each other and real friends. I had never had a “real” guy friend before. We are now sharing life with simple grace. The photo is Bill drawing at our local coffee/tea shoppe (where we are regulars). He sketches the landscape inside the shoppe and will then give many of his sketches to those he draws.
OK, will try again (if this doesn’t work, it must be the site, because I’ve been getting strings of error codes after hitting submit).
This is in response to my not having a spiritual director. The woman who lives next to the church office has this hanging on her shed, and since I’ve read the Brigid quote and posted on the FB page (Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks), it’s been jumping out at me although I’ve seen it all along, so I braved the snowbank to take a picture of it.
Maybe I don’t have a soul friend right now, but I have a basket that’s empty and can be filled. It will happen when the time is right, and I have Love in the meantime. However, maybe I’m going about finding a soul friend a bit wrong, like a basket nailed to the wall at the wrong angle to be much use for holding anything.
Sorry, apparently the pic didn’t attach itself, so I’ll use a different computer.
Bonnie, I just LOVE. It and felt chills when I read your word alongside the image. I understand your thoughts and can see how your photography brings forth your understanding of life in all that you see, experience and capture through the lens…CREATIVItY and the SPIRIT..alive and manifested through you. Thanks for going beyond and posting it for all of us.
I share with you my image of “Soul Friend”.
Two sisters skating on our pond on a cold winter morning.
Brigit and Hannah, reaching for the light, trying to find there balance in relationship with each other and the earth. Each has a different style, sometimes they glide, sometimes they clash, but on days like today they are united, and at peace, as they skate across the pond filling there need to be Friend, and to have Friend….they are one.
Bonnie
My guardian angel
Art work by my Four year old Granddaughter.