Dec 6, 2011

The Hound Of Heaven

A book of William Blake’s poetry that was one of Francis Thompson’s scanty possessions as he wandered the streets of London for several years in his late twenties, living as a vagrant. It was during this period of utter destitution that he was taken in by a missionary, during which time he summoned up his store of inspiration and wrote ‘The Hound Of Heaven’.



"I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; I fled Him, down the arches of the years; I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears I hid from Him, and under running laughter. Up vistaed hopes I sped; And shot, precipitated, Adown Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears, From those strong Feet that followed, followed after. But with unhurrying chase, And unperturbéd pace, Deliberate speed, majestic instancy, They beat—and a Voice beat More instant than the Feet— “All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.”


There is a simmering, illusive, yet lingering assurance deep within us that our life is predetermined and we have come from 'somewhere else'.

This is because fundamentally we are the essence of Source itself, currently incarnated in a particular form in a particular realm of existence'.

Many lose complete touch with their true essence as they traverse the course of their physical lives

Our egos can become quite fixated and rigid as they vainly try to ‘capture’ the illusive nature of our lives in some rationalistic mindset which causes us to further distance ourselves from that 'child-like state of innocence', which, I would argue, is one of the 'sanest' periods of our earthly lives!

As we physically age, the incessant deep-seated prodding of my divine Self tries to resurface amid the imposed ego constraints of our lives, and, more often than not, remains dominated by our intellectual quest for certainty.

As the human condition further impacts our lives, intellectual answers offer little solace and comfort.

This may just be the precursor that allows us to again discover the integrity of the spiritual life.

It is important that we come to understand that our greatest life insights occur when we realise that most of our formulated answers are the result of challenging existential moments that threaten our physical and emotional security.

All the while, salvation lies silently brooding beneath our ‘whirling existential angst’ waiting to drag us screaming to its tranquil ‘uncertain’ place, the very source of our questioning that lies mercifully beyond all rational superficiality and intellectual justification.

Till the next present moment.

Blessings

Rob