Week 3 Lent Today’s Readings: Deut 4:1,5-9 Matt 5:17-19
Innocence
in a sense
is like incense …. innocence…
it rises up and offers something of its very being
to inner sense
innocence – seemingly elusive yet
my inner sense
in a sense – it touches me … I behold it,
in a sense – I perceive its vapour,
I am in sense arising inner sense
an incense
to my being in innocence.
I wrote this verse as the word ‘innocence’ invited me this morning to ‘feel out’ its dimensions within me. In rising awareness of the work of Michael Leunig – artist, poet, philospher and officially declared Australian Living Treasure in 1999, I sought out an image and had NO knowledge of what follows. All within me blossomed as I discovered a gem -an extract follows from:
“Ideas of Spirituality, Art and Innocence” by Michael Leunig*:
“Why do I choose to put together this wonderful holy trinity of spirituality, art and innocence? … The simple truth is that I believe these things are treasures that matter hugely to the health of the individual and society…
I have come to understand my spirituality as an ongoing internal lyrical state of consciousness, semi-consciousness and unconsciousness in which I find meaning, comfort, refuge, inspiration, mystery and strength. …
With spirit, one is able to have and hold many feelings, and live a felt life. The spirit supports and negotiates between our feelings, instincts and intuitions …
I cannot help but think that a rich and confident spiritual life is a form of genius. …
The spirit lies at the heart of our character and personality; our individual, divine self, which is one of the greatest treasures we will ever have access to. …
Any thoughts of spirituality lead me quite naturally to the idea of art because in my view, and in my experience, art is an aspect or an expression of our individual spiritual reality.
I make the point that mystery is not confusion, rather it is an enchantment of the imagination and spirit. Indeed art is a spiritual project. …
In essence, spirituality and art are interwoven in their raw searching, in their expression, in their courageous unknowing, in their joy and darkness and in their radiant innocent strength which finds its way into the human heart. …
A direct link to the wondrous, innocent experiences of childhood might, in mature age, be called mature innocence. … I have found some of my most meaningful, useful and joyous work there. It is my studio within my studio. We might also understand mature innocence as mindfulness.”
I encourage you to visit the site for his full essay given as keynote presentation at 10th Dialogue Australasia Network Conference, 11 April 2015. http://www.leunig.com.au/ideas/spirituality-art-innocence?showall=1&limitstart= Words and image provided with gracious courtesy of Michael Leunig.