Meditation: The ripples

Everything is connected. The often imperceptible ripples from each thing we do, each thought, every word we say - these ripples spread and touch, in some small way, each other person. 

We see some of our ripples obvious before us as small waves, splashes and deflections - but most are unnoticed, too small or distant. Too insignificant to care about.

Or they are behind us, beyond our peripheral vision. 

All ripples begin as rings
spreading in a circle always
from a point of contact, all changed 
or deflected by winds and barriers.

God has no substance, and lives 
here with us only in love, 
only in human contact and 
in whatever love and forgiveness we offer.

We work together in each human act:
we create the waves -  
our role as God's co-creators.
The shape and height of the wave, 

its longevity and effect are not
in our control, spreading
in front of us, or a wave surging behind
rolling directly across clear space or 

deflected God only knows where, 
to touch, to baptise, to remind, 
to heal another person I have never met, 
will never meet. My brother, my sister.

My role is the contact: the word of love
the touch of hope, the gift of charity,
the smile. These contacts are mine. The ripple 
is our Creator's continuing act of creation.

Sometimes a ripple touches me 
and I am a hard flat surface
deflecting or directing the energy 
and doing God's work.

Sometimes I am broken coastlines, 
absorbing all of the energy and love 
rolling in the wave and doing God's will. 
Accepting God's flood of love.

Ripples go out from every human contact
every prayer, every touch, every feeling;
every act of love, of faith, of trust, of forgiveness, of joy, 
to we know not where - God's hand upon the world.

My acts send little ripples
not giant tsunami - that is not my calling.
But tiny ripples amplify other ripples
and become breakers on the shore.

Suggestions for meditation

Always begin by offering your time to God: something like "My loving God, I love you with my whole heart and above all things. I give you this time when I am reaching out to you" and then a few moments reminding yourself of some of the blessings God has given you - the clear signs of God's love for you.

Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.

Listen for Jesus' personal message for you.

If you would prefer a more authoritative reading to focus your meditation try Isaiah 55:8-9

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

or these famous words of Teresa of Avila

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion
is to look out to the earth,
yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good
and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.

Read one of these passages or the meditation slowly a couple of times.

What word of phrase jumps out to speak to you?

Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.

Then spend 5, or 10, or 20 minutes with those words, or the word ACT or the word GOD. You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds. After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen. 

Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).

You may need a countdown clock.

At the end thank God, and return to your day.